


move together

by solinasolina



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clarke is a teacher, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Kids, Single Parents, also octavia and lincoln have a kid, and bellamy is a single dad, it's going to be a pretty light fic, kinda like a fast slow burn, lexa is a finance manager turned florist, minimal/no angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 04:18:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 127,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7786468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solinasolina/pseuds/solinasolina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexa, single mother of Aden and Mia Woods decides that moving to Arkadia is the best thing for her family. And Clarke, single mother of Ava Griffin just so happens to live in Arkadia.  </p><p>You know how the story goes. </p><p>or the single parents au</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new fic! because sometimes writing angst for my other fic gets tiring. 
> 
> happy reading!

**Costia Woods**  
daughter, friend, mother, wife  
rest in peace

Lexa reads the tombstone over and over again. It’s been nearly two and half years since she’s lost Costia. It wasn’t easy, but then again, death never was.

For two whole months after Costia’s death, their children, Mia and Aden asked when mum was going to come back home. And for two whole months, Lexa had to explain that she wasn’t. It was one night as Lexa was tucking the twins into bed, that instead of them asking the question she was expecting – they both closed their eyes and whispered “good night, mum,” before nodding off.

Now here they were, sitting in front of Costia’s grave ready to say goodbye. Mia and Aden sit at either side of her, with all three of them placing their right hand on the tombstone where their hand prints were engraved in to. Polis just isn't home anymore and it hasn’t been for a long time. The city is great and Lexa grateful for the memories that she’s made, but it wasn’t enough for her to carry on her life here.

Lexa slowly takes her hand off the tombstone with Mia and Aden following close behind. They’ve been here for about an hour now, taking their time to say goodbye. Arkadia is a three-hour drive away so they probably won’t be able to visit as often. Everything was packed and already on its way to the new house. This is essentially their last moment in Polis.

“Hey,” Lexa whispers. She wraps her arms around her children’s shoulders and kisses their temple softly. “Why don’t you guys go sit with Aunt Anya for a second? Mama needs just one more minute and we can go.”

“Okay,” Mia smiles as she stands up. She makes her way towards her aunt who was sitting on the bench a few feet behind them.

Aden nods and hops up too.

Lexa watches as Mia and Aden make their way to Anya. She gives a small smile to her sister – who returns a reassuring nod in response. Turning back to the tombstone, Lexa sighs a little. “We’ll come back and visit, I promise,” she whispers. “Polis… just hasn’t been home since you’ve been gone… I think you would have really loved Arkadia. The neighbourhood is beautiful and the house is great. Anya says that the primary school is also really good as well.” Lexa runs her fingers over Costia’s name. “The kids miss you and I miss you, Cos. But even with the move I know you’ll still be looking over us so we’re going to be okay… Mia, Aden and myself… we’re going to be okay.”

A few silent seconds passes before Lexa starts to twist her wedding ring. She slides it off and slowly unclasps her necklace. She threads her ring through the necklace, putting the necklace back on. Another few moments passes before Lexa lets out a couple of deep breaths and stands up. She walks up back over to Mia, Aden and Anya.

“You okay?” Anya asks.

Lexa nods as she ruffles Aden’s hair a little. “Yeah,” she smiles. “I am.”

 

Anya takes the lead on her motorcycle on the way to Arkadia with Lexa following close behind. Half way through, they stop by a McDonalds for lunch and some gas and they’re on their way again. It’s an easy drive as the kids nap and occupy themselves with their iPad.

They arrive at the house just before 2pm. Lexa sighs with relief as she sees that the moving truck has already arrived and the workers were already in the process of unpacking. Anya immediately takes to guiding the moving people on where certain boxes are to go.

Lexa opens the door for the kids and just as she does, Lincoln walks out.

“Lex!” he yells as he runs over.

“Hey,” Lexa smiles as they share a quick hug. “Thanks for being here.”

“Anytime.” Lincoln breaks away from the hug and kneels down towards Mia and Aden, “Can your Uncle Linc get a hug?”

Both Mia and Aden nod and the three of them share a big bear hug. Lincoln sways them from side to side slightly as the squeal with excitement. He lets them go eventually, “Why don’t you go inside? There are some people who are really excited to see you again.” Without another word, Mia and Aden are off running inside the house.

Lexa lets out a small chuckle and starts to unload the boot of her car. There wasn’t much, it was mostly photos and other little things she didn’t want to put in the moving van. With Lincoln’s help, they manage to carry everything within one trip.

Once inside the house, they settle the stuff into an empty corner for the time being. Immediately, Lincoln is back outside to help with unloading the van. Lexa steps into the living room and sees that their piano has already been rolled in as have their couches.

Lexa steps towards the couches where Octavia is pushing a pram. “Hey,” she whispers.

Octavia looks up and smiles. “Hey Lexa.” She stands up and the two of them share a quick hug. “How was the trip up?” Octavia asks.

“It was good. The kids were great.” Lexa leans over to look into the pram. “How’s Lucas?”

Octavia smiles and sits down on the couch, gesturing for Lexa to do the same. “Down with a little fever.”

“Oh no.”

“It’s okay,” Octavia replies. “He’s a fighter.”

“Just like his parents.” Lexa pauses and stop looks over to Lucas again. He was fast asleep, with his chest rising and falling ever so slightly with every breath. She looks back to Octavia, “Do you know where my kids are?” she laughs.

Octavia lets out a small laugh too. “They’re in one of the bedrooms with Raven. She’s building one of the beds with Bellamy.”

Lexa nods. “I’m going go and see if they need any help.” She makes her way through the house slowly, taking in the empty rooms and clean walls. In her mind, she can imagine how everything will look once they settle in.

She peeks her head into one of the bedrooms to find her kids with Raven and Bellamy.

“Lexa!” Raven greets as she stands up. She makes her way over and the two of them share a quick hug also. “Thank god you’re here, Bellamy is useless.”

“I am not!”

Raven laughs. “He’s not. I’m just kidding.”

Lexa laughs as well. “Thanks for doing this, you guys didn’t have to.”

“We’re old,” Raven shrugs. “We don’t have anything better to do on a Friday afternoon.”

“Well, pizza and beer is on me tonight.” Lexa squeezes Raven’s shoulder slightly and smiles. She looks to Bellamy who is just about standing up, “Where’s Rosie and Ben?”

“They’re at a birthday party. I actually have to go pick them up but I’ll be back in an hour or so.” He ruffles Aden’s hair and moves to pick up Mia over his shoulder. The kids squeal in enjoyment as they all move back towards the living room.

 

About an hour later everything from the moving truck is unloaded. The house is a mess with boxes upon boxes everywhere. Lexa wants to get at least the bedrooms set up so that they could easy tonight, so everyone offers a hand to make sure that it gets done. It’s a three-bedroom house, so Aden and Mia get their own rooms (which they are super excited for).

Aden works with Lincoln to get his room set up and Mia with Octavia.

Raven offers to set up the TV and entertainment system.

Lexa works on her own bedroom with Anya.

“Want me to take you grocery shopping?” Anya asks as she fits the pillow with the pillow case. “The store is about 10 minutes from here.”

“The kids…” Lexa whispers.

“Will be fine with Lincoln. We can grab the pizzas on our way back.”

Lexa nods. “Alright, that sounds good.”

 

By 5pm Bellamy is back with Rosie and Ben and Lexa and Anya are off to buy some groceries and dinner for everyone. As they drive through the neighbourhood, Anya plays part tour guide. They drive pass the school Mia and Aden would be going to in just over a week, Arkadia Primary School. Lexa hasn’t had a chance to visit the school herself, only filling out the enrolment form and having Anya drop them off for her.

“Octavia and Raven’s best friend actually teaching year 2 this year,” Anya says.

“Really?”

Anya hums in response. “Her name is Clarke. She’s on vacation with her family at the moment but I think she’s coming back on Sunday. I can introduce you to her before the term starts.”

“That would be nice. Is she good?”

“She is,” Anya smiles. “She’s got a daughter too – a year younger than your kids. Mia and Aden will be in good hands.”

Lexa simply hums in response and goes back to taking in the surroundings. Arkadia is nothing like Polis. In Polis they lived right in the middle of the city, in a high rise apartment building. There were always a lot of people around, constant traffic and noise pollution that would definitely not be missed. In Arkadia, everything just seems a lot more relaxed and Lexa is sure that this is has been the right move for her and her family.

Once they’re in the grocery store, Anya orders a couple of pizzas via the store's app so that it’ll be done by the time they’re finished shopping. As they stroll through the cereal aisle Anya places a box of Lucky Charms, Cheerio’s and Special K into the trolley without being asked. Lexa smiles.

“What?” Anya asks.

“Nothing,” Lexa shrugs. “It’s cute that you remember our cereal preferences.”

Anya pushes the trolley slightly. “Shut up.”

They continue on through the store, picking up a few more things than they initially planned. But they figure since they were already here, they might as well grab the weeks’ worth of groceries. Lexa and Anya make mindless chatter to fill in the silence. It's nice. When Lexa was in Polis they didn’t get to see each other as often as they would have liked, but now with this move they were only a 20-minute drive from each other.

“Do you want to go to the store tomorrow?” Anya asks.

Lexa nods as she places a few soft drinks into the trolley. “Maybe in the afternoon though? I want to spend the morning unpacking.”

“That’s fine. I have an appointment in the morning.”

“Tomorrow’s Saturday.”

Anya nods. “I know, but my client is flying in just for the day.”

“Fan-cy,” Lexa smiles. Anya is a fashion designer who works with one of the country’s leading brands. She might be a little bias, but her sister is pretty fucking talented and has an eye for fashion that's definitely put her name on the map. 

“Right? I’m nervous though. I’ve been working on her wedding dress for _months_ and tomorrow’s the big day.”

“You don’t have to come with me if you’re too busy.”

Anya shakes her head. “It’s fine. My client has something else on after noon anyways so I’ll be finished around then.” She pauses and smile. “Still can’t believe you’re opening a florist. _The Commander_ settling down in the suburbs… wouldn’t have believed it if you told me that six years ago.”

“Yeah, well a lot has changed in six years.”

In Polis, Lexa worked as a finance manager. After graduating top of her class, she found a graduate position in one of the nation’s top banks. In a few short years she made a name for herself within the industry. Dubbed “The Commander,” Lexa broke records and exceeded all expectations. But career was short lived as she realised that it wasn’t the life for her.

It’s not long after that they finish the grocery shopping. They pick up the pizzas and make their way back home. It’s a little surprisingly to see that the group at home had actually made some good headway in terms of unpacking. Lexa thanks them profusely. The kids all eat in front of the TV as the adults surround the dining table.

Anya holds up her drink, “To Lexa. This is the only time you’ll hear me say this but I’m glad you’re here with us.”

Everyone else lifts up their drinks and cheers along.

Lexa laughs and nudges her sister. “I’m glad I’m here too.” She turns to the rest of the group. “Thank you guys for helping today. You’ve made moving here a lot easier and I am very grateful for that.”

The rest of the night is easy going. The kids remain watching the movie as everyone else just catches up on what they’ve been up to and what the weekend entailed. The main fixtures of the house have been set up and Lexa again, thanks everyone for their help.

By 8pm everyone besides Anya has said their goodbyes for the day. Anya and Mia sit on the living room couch as an episode of The Simpsons finishes playing.

“Aunt Anya?” Mia whispers.

“What’s up Monkey?”

“Is this…” Mia waves her hand around the living room, “Home now?”

Anya nods. “Yeah it is.”

“Are you going to live here too?”

“No. But I live _really_ close.” Anya smiles.

Mia looks up to her aunt, eyes gleaming. “So we can see you everyday?”

Anya chuckles softly. “Yeah, you can.”

Mia returns her attention back to the TV. “Okay, that’s good.”

 

By 10pm, Anya is helping to tuck the kids into bed, reassuring them that she’ll see them the following day. Lexa walks her sister out of the door as they make a quick plan for the following day. Just as Anya is about to put on her helmet, she leans in for a hug. Lexa is tense for a moment before hugging her sister back. They stay like this for a moment as they silently say _Thank you_ and _I love you._

“Text me when you get home,” Lexa smiles as she pulls away from the hug.

“See you tomorrow, Lex.”

As Lexa locks up for the night, she checks on Mia and Aden one more time. They look as if they’re fast asleep, so she goes to take a shower so she can call finally call it a day. It may have only been 10 but she's exhausted.

When she steps out of her own bathroom, she’s met with a sight that absolutely melts her heart. Both Mia and Aden were very poorly hiding themselves under her bedsheets, their tiny bodies squirming. Lexa tip toes around her room and eventually falls right in the middle of her children, her arms haphazardly landing over their bodies.

“AHHHHH!” Both Mia and Aden reveal themselves, giggling.

“Oh,” Lexa laughs. “I didn’t see you guys there.”

“Can we sleep here tonight?” Aden asks.

“Of course you can.” Lexa gets up from the bed and switches off the light as Aden turns on the bedside table. She then moves back towards the bed and takes the middle spot between her kids again. The three of them fall under the blanket and Lexa kisses the top of Mia and Aden’s head before drifting off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

The following morning, Lexa wakes up with Aden’s feet in her face and Mia nowhere to be found. She notices that her door is slightly ajar and she can hear the TV playing from the living room. Carefully, she gets out of bed and takes a moment to freshen up before making her way out.

Lexa walks into the living room to see Mia curled up on the couch. She kisses the top of her daughter’s head. “Morning Monkey.”

“Morning Mama,” Mia smiles.

“Breakfast?”

Mia nods excitedly. “Do we have lucky charms?”

“Yeah we do.” Lexa tucks some of Mia’s hair behind her ear. “Wait here, I’ll be back in a moment.” She heads into the kitchen and starts to open a few boxes until she can find coffee machine. As she finishes making her coffee she sees Aden yawning as he walks through the kitchen. “Morning, champ. Hungry?”

Aden nods. “Cheerio’s?”

“Go sit with your sister. I’ll bring you some in a minute.” Lexa shifts through a few more boxes until she finds a couple of bowls and spoons. She pours the Lucky Charms into one and Cheerio’s into the other before pouring the milk and taking them to her kids.

As Lexa has her own breakfast, she starts to unpack more of her kitchen and manages to get her parents on the phone. She reassures them that she and the kids are fine and that they’re settling in okay. Her parents own a flower farm just outside the city and they are the reason why she’s opening up a florist in Arkadia. She’s essentially falling into the family business and it felt so right.

The rest of the morning is spent unpacking other little things around the house. Mia and Aden also get into unpacking more of their own rooms so Lexa can start to make a list of things she still needs to get for them.

Anya arrives just before 1pm and helps some more. After they fit in the washer and dryer, Anya moves into the kitchen and makes herself a cup of coffee.

“Did your client like the dress?” Lexa asks as she takes a seat at the stool.

“She did,” Anya sighs happily. “She started crying and hugged me.”

“Awww.”

“All that stress and nervousness paid off. How was your first night here?”

“Good,” Lexa replies truthfully. “Mia and Aden ended up sleeping with me last night.”

“You wake up to Aden’s feet in your face again?”

Lexa laughs. “Yeah.”

“I’m surprised he doesn’t actually fall out of bed with how much he moves.”

“You’ve gone and jinxed it now,” Lexa jokes. “Hey, so where’s the closes IKEA?” Anya grimaces and Lexa just laughs. “I’m not asking you to go with me, I know how much you hate that place.”

“Oh thank god,” Anya replies. “The closest would be… Rhodes. What do you need?”

“Table and chairs for the kids. And just other little things here and there.”

Anya rolls her eyes playfully. “You’re so bad at IKEA though. Maybe I should go with you.”

“What? No I’m not.”

“Yeah you are,” Anya counters. “Last time we went you brought like 50 lint rollers because they were on sale.”

“They were on sale!” Lexa argues.

Anya laughs. “YEAH but who needs _fifty_ of them?”

“Don’t talk to me and my fifty lint rollers again.”

 

* * *

 

By 3pm, Lexa is driving Anya, Mia and Aden towards their new shop. It’s about a 15-minute drive into the city and the kids are loving the scenery. They pick and point at various different landmarks and places, and ask if they can stop to check them out. Lexa assures them that they’ll have a lot of time to fully explore the city soon enough.

When they reach the shop, Anya hands over a set of keys to her sister. “Welcome to your new shop, Lexa.”

Lexa takes the keys and unlocks to double doors. Pushing them right open, Aden and Mia run in first to explore the mostly empty room. There’s a built in counter to the side and a few pieces of furniture has already been delivered. Lexa looks around and can’t help but smile. “This is perfect,” she smiles.

Anya places her arm around Lexa. “I’m proud of you.” They walk further into the shop. “The rest of the stuff should be here Monday and the electrician too.”

“Electrician?”

Anya nods. “Yeah, light in the office and cool room isn’t working.”

“Oh, okay.”

Mia runs up to Lexa. “Mama, is this going to be the flower shop?”

“It sure is,” Lexa replies. “We just got to build some tables and put up some photos then fill the place with flowers from grandma and grandpa’s farm.”

“Cool,” Mia smiles.

Lexa laughs. “Yes, this is very cool.”

 

They don’t stay long. Lexa just wanted to see the place for herself. The rest of the time is spent with Anya showing them around the area, eventually ending up at Bellamy and Octavia’s gym so that they could enrol Aden into the karate classes they offered.

“Hey,” Bellamy greets. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Do you teach karate here?!” Aden responds with the biggest smile.

“We do. Interested?”

Aden nods happily.

“He’s just starting out,” Lexa says.

“That’s fine,” Bellamy smiles. He grabs a form and slides it across the counter. “I have to go back to work but just fill this out and Gina here will answer any questions you have.”

Lexa nods. “Thanks Bellamy.” She gets to work on filling out the form as Anya occupies the kids. She talks to Gina (the receptionist) who discusses the levels, the karate teachers and the payment options for the class. Lexa calls Aden up to the desk so she can see if he had anything to say about it. Not surprisingly, he doesn’t – he’s just really excited for the classes. So Lexa signs him up for the 10-week program and settles the payment.

After that they say their goodbyes and it’s about time for dinner so Anya takes them to “the best burgers in Arkadia.”

“But Aunt Anya, we haven’t had all the burgers in Arkadia yet. How can we know that they’re the best?” Mia points out.

“You’re too smart for you age,” Anya laughs. “Stop growing up so fast.”

Lexa can’t help but laugh during their dinner, Aden tries to tell them a joke only to fail because he can’t stop laughing before getting to the punchline.

Mia dips her fries into her milkshake for the first time and is absolutely gobsmacked saying that, “This is what rainbows must taste like.”

And Anya drenches her fries in tomato sauce, only to receive disgusted looks from herself, Mia and Aden.

Arkadia is slowly feeling like home.

 

* * *

 

It’s a Sunday morning when Clarke returns to Arkadia with her daughter (Ava) and her parents. They had just spent a week’s vacation in Hawaii for their cousin’s wedding. It was a great week and Clarke was super excited as it was also Ava’s first time on a plane. But now they were back home and had a week left of holidays before the new term was set to start.

The taxi drives them to her parent’s house. As her mum pays the driver, she helps her dad unload their suitcases from the trunk. It’s only 8am but Clarke is pretty tired from the flight. She kind of just wants to go home and sleep but knows that isn’t a wise decision if she wants to beat the jetlag.

Ava yawns and rubs her eyes. “Oh sweetie, you still tired?” Clarke asks.

“Yeah.”

Abby comes around and lifts Ava up. “What do you say we have some breakfast first, then we’ll take you home?”

Ava nods tiredly. “Will Auntie Raven be home?”

Clarke smiles. “Yeah she will. She’s really excited to see you.” She watches as her dad runs inside the house, only to have the garage door rolling up a minute later. Clarke takes her suitcase and pops it into the trunk of her parent’s car. The plan was to go out and have breakfast before her parents would drop them off at home.

They spend about half an hour freshening up inside. Ava takes a small nap on the couch as Clarke helps her parents do a few little things around the house. When they’re all ready to go, Clarke picks up her daughter carefully, trying her best not to wake up her. She carries Ava to the car and they’re off to have breakfast.

Jake drives about 20 minutes into the city and Ava wakes up right as they find a parking spot. They all enjoy a nice Sunday breakfast as they go over the great week they’ve had. Ava talks and talks about how much she loves planes and asks when they’ll get to go on another one. Watching Ava laugh and talk with her parents is a sight that she’s never going to get sick of. Being a single mum wasn’t always easy but fortunately for Clarke, she had a big support system.

Once breakfast is over, her parents drive her home. Home isn't too far away from the café they were just at. She lives in an apartment with Ava and her best friend, Raven. It wasn’t your “normal” situation but it didn’t matter. It works for them.

Clarke quietly unlocks the door as her dad wheels her suitcase in and her mum carries Ava. Immediately, Clarke finds herself almost being tackled to the ground.

“Clarke!”

Clarke laughs and wraps her arms around her best friend. “I was only gone a week.”

“A week too long,” Raven replies. She greets Jake and Abby and then takes Ava in her own hands. “And how are you, Cheesecake?”

Clarke sighs. “Please stop calling my daughter Cheesecake.”

“Cheesecake?” Abby asks, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s a long story,” Clarke replies.

“We swam with dolphins!” Ava gleams. “And watched the sun go into the ocean!”

“The sunset?”  Raven asks.

Jake laughs. “Yeah.” He kisses the top of Ava’s head. “We should get going. A lot to do, bye sweet heart.”

“Bye grandpa,” Ava replies.

After Clarke and Raven say their goodbyes, Raven sits with Ava on the couch to listen to everything the young girl had to say. In the meantime, Clarke opens her suitcase and starts to sort through their things. She gets their dirty clothes into the laundry, packs away anything else that’s clean and organises her gifts for everyone.

“For you,” Clarke says as she drops a box of chocolate covered macadamia nuts onto Raven’s lap.

Raven grins. “Marry me, Clarke Griffin.”

“If we’re 40 and still single, I’ll consider it.” She takes a seat on the couch too, “How was your week? What did you get up to?”

“Not much, mostly work…” Raven trails off as she tries to recall the week she’s had. “Oh, Anya’s sister moved in the other day. Remember me telling you about Lexa?”

Clarke nods. “Yeah, I still can’t believe I’m the only one who hasn’t met her yet.”

“Weird, I know.” But pauses and smiles. “She’s cool and the twins are adorable. The kids will be in your class this term.”

“Really?” Clarke asks.

Raven hums in response. “Yeah I think Anya might want to introduce you guys before school starts.”

“That’s cool.”

Ava raises her arms above her head and yawns again. “Can I sleep some more?”

Clarke nods. She stands up and takes Ava’s hand as they walk to her daughter’s bedroom. Clarke pulls back the blanket and tucks Ava in, kissing her on the forehead before slipping back out.

“Tell me more about Lexa?” Clarke asks.

“I think I remember Anya saying that she was a finance manager of some sorts. But she’s now opening up a florist here.”

Clarke nods along. “That’s a big career change.”

“It is.”

“Husband?” Clarke asks.

Raven shakes her head. “Her wife past away a couple of years ago… Cancer.”

“Oh,” Clarke breathes. That takes her by surprise, not that she knew the woman or anything. There’s a pang in her chest as she feels like she’s just overstepped in what she should know about Lexa. She’s lost someone to cancer as well and knows the pain, but she just couldn’t imagine how much hard it must have been with two kids as well.

 

* * *

 

 

Sunday morning doesn’t start till well past 9am in the Woods household. The previous night, Lexa had worked to putting up the final touches around the house like photos, decorations and posters. Books were also sorted into the shelves and almost everything was in its place.

Lexa stirs as she wakes up, the morning light peeking through the curtains. She stares up at the ceiling and mindlessly plays with the ring on her necklace. She thinks about her past, and about Costia, and it doesn’t make her sad. She closes her eyes, her fingers still toying with the ring and manages to remember her late wife’s laugh. A sound that she always finds comfort in.

After freshening up a little, Lexa hears a loud bang coming from the kitchen. She walks out of her room and notices that neither Aden or Mia’s doors are opened so it couldn’t be them. It makes her worry but then she hears some familiar voices.

“ _Why do you have to be so loud?”_

_“It was an accident.”_

_“An accident that will probably wake them all up.”_

_“It’s 9am Lexa’s probably been up for like 3 hours already.”_

Lexa enters the kitchen and her eyes immediately fall to her parents. “Mum? Dad?” She walks up to her dad first and hugs him. “What are you doing here? I thought you busy this weekend.”

“We’re never too busy for you or our grandchildren,” Gustus replies.

Lexa then moves to hug her mum. “Hey mum.”

Indra hugs her daughter back but doesn’t say anything. It’s in the hug that the “I love you” is shared between mother and daughter.

Lexa pulls back from the hug and looks between her sister and parents. “Wait, how did you get into my house?”

“I have a key,” Anya replies as if wasn’t anything.

Lexa raises an eyebrow. “I never gave you a key?”

“You didn’t have to,” Anya shrugs. “I’m making breakfast so if you want some, don’t question how I got a key.”

Gustus laughs and moves back to chop up the fruit. “We wanted to surprise you. The house looks great by the way. I’m surprised everything is almost unpacked.”

Indra steps around the kitchen and fixes a cup of coffee for everyone. The sit and talk and catch up for the next ten minutes or so before one of the bedroom doors can be heard opening.

“Grandma!” Aden yells as he runs through the kitchen. “Grandpa!”

Indra lifts Aden up into a hug. “I’ve missed you.” Gustus walks over and wraps his arm around his wife and grandson as well.

“Hungry?” Gustus asks Aden.

Aden nods and Indra gets a plate of breakfast ready for him. She takes it to the dining table and Aden digs in. Indra starts to set up the rest of the table and Lexa takes that as her cue to check on Mia.

She walks into the room and sits on the edge of the bed. “Hey Monkey, wake up,” she whispers. Mia stirs slightly but doesn’t wake up. “Grandma and grandpa are here.”

With that, Mia’s eyes shoot open. Without a word, Mia is up and running out of her room. Lexa laughs slightly as she hears her daughter yelling throughout the house for her grandparents.

Lexa makes her way back into the kitchen to see Mia up in her dad’s arms. She helps her mum set the rest of the table as Anya finishes up making the rest of the pancakes. The family all sit together and enjoy breakfast, with much of the conversation being carried by Aden and Mia who talk about how much they love their new house.

Once breakfast is done, Lexa helps her dad clean the dishes. “How long are you here for?” she asks.

“Just for the day,” Gustus replies. When Lexa’s face falls slightly he smiles. “Busy week a head but we’ll be back down for your house party on Friday.”

Mia then comes into the kitchen, tugging at her mum’s shirt. “Mama, can Aden and I go shopping with grandma and grandpa today?”

Lexa looks up to her mum, whose just about to walk into the kitchen. “You’re going into the store today, right?” Indra asks.

“Yeah,” Lexa replies. “You don’t mind?”

“Not at all.” Indra looks towards Mia, “Let’s get you changed.” She then looks back towards the living room, “Aden!”

“Coming!” Aden calls back.

Lexa chuckles softly as she watches her kids go off with her mum. She returns to doing the dishes and they have everything cleaned within the next few minutes. 

Not even an hour later, Lexa is waving goodbye to her parents and kids, as they drive out of the driveway. She and Anya leave not long after. There only plans for the day is to work on the store.

 

* * *

 

Clarke spends the afternoon finalising her prep work for the upcoming term. Fortunately, she had already finished most of it before she went on holidays, it was just the matter of tying up loose ends. She loves being a teacher at Arkadia Primary School. This year she’s teaching Year 2 and she honestly couldn’t be happier. The kids are great and so is the school, and her colleagues were an excellent bunch.

Some time by the mid-afternoon, Raven enters her room and slumps onto the bed. However, Clarke doesn’t really pay much notice since this was a pretty common occurrence between the two of them.

“I’m so bored,” Raven comments. “Bored and hungry.”

Clarke looks over to Raven and laughs slightly. “What’s Ava up to?”

“She’s watching TV.”

“And you’re always hungry.”

Raven hums. “Yeah, but now I’m SUPER hungry. Early dinner?”

“Yeah,” Clarke nods. “Give me an hour? I should be done with work by then.”

Raven raises both her arms up in the air, “YES!” she exclaims before rushing out the room.

 

By 4:30pm Clarke, Ava and Raven are stepping out of their apartment to go out. They decide to take the twenty-minute walk to the restaurant, cutting through the park on the way as well. It's a really nice Sunday afternoon and they figured a walk would do them all really good.

But obviously the time it takes to walk through the park is extended as Raven and Ava insist on petting all the dogs they walk past. Ava has asked for a dog time and time again, and despite Clarke wanting one too – their apartment building has a strict ‘no pet policy’ they had to follow.

As they continue through the park, Raven stops them in front of the fountain so that they can get a photo together. Ava hops up on her mother’s back and Clarke stands right besides Raven.

“Say cheese!” Raven grins.

“CHEESE!” both Clarke and Ava grin back.

Raven takes the photo and sets to tweeting it out.

> **@ravenreyes** : on the way to Everglow with my favourite Chessecake and @claaarke http://pic.twitter.com/slajd30irc

Clarke groans again as she sees the tweet. “Please, stop calling her Cheesecake.”

“Never,” Raven replies. She then looks to her phone as she gets some twitter notifications.

> **@anyawoods** : @ravenreyes @claaarke lexa and I are going to Everglow too. Wanna meet?
> 
> **@anyawoods** : @ravenreyes @claaarke we can be there by 5:10

“Hey, Anya and her sister are going to Everglow too,” Raven says.

“Yeah, tell her that we’ll grab a table first.”

Raven nods and sends another tweet.

“Auntie Anya coming too?” Ava asks, still on her mother’s back.

“Yep,” Clarke replies. “And we’re going to meet her sister.”

“Anya has a sister?”

Clarke nods. “And her sister has two kids that are just a year older than you.”

“Aden and Mia,” Raven adds.

“Ohhh,” Ava smiles. “Are they going to my school?”

Raven nods this time. “Your mummy is their teacher.”

“They’re going to have the best teacher!” Ava yells with the widest grin on her face.

Both Clarke and Raven chuckle and they continue on through the park. It was only 4:50pm at this point and the restaurant was just a couple minutes away, so they take their time. They stop to say hello to another two dogs and Raven buys Ava a Dory balloon from one of the vendors.

By the time they get to the restaurant it’s just before 5 and they manage to get a booth that has more than enough space for the five of them. Ava sits in between Raven and Clarke as they go look through the menu first.

Raven takes out her phone and reads the incoming message from Anya. “They’re here,” she tells Clarke.

Clarke smiles and nods as she continues to read over the menu. She nudges Ava slightly, “What do you feel like, sweetie?”

“Do they have spaghetti?”

Clarke flips a couple of pages. “Yeah, do you want the one with the red sauce and meatballs or the one like grandma makes with the white sauce?”

Ava taps her chin and hums. “The white sauce one.”

Just as Clarke looks back up from the menu, she spots Anya and who she can only assume to be Lexa approach the table. As cliché as it sounds, Clarke loses her breath the moment she sees Lexa. Lexa has on a simple pair of dark blue jeans, a white top and a black leather jacket. Her hair was tied up into a loose bun and there was just something about the casual look that hasClarke’s heart racing.

“Hey Clarke, Raven,” Anya greets.

“Hey,” Raven smiles. “Hey Lexa.”

Lexa gives a slight nod. “Hello.” She steps into the booth first and sits next to Clarke, offering her hand she smiles. “I’m Lexa, Anya’s sister.”

Clarke smiles and accepts the handshake. “I’m Ava– nope sorry, I’m _Clarke_ ,” she corrects. Both Raven and Anya laugh softly, earning a subtle glare from Clarke. She then points to her daughter, “ _This_ is Ava, my daughter.”

Lexa chuckles softly and looks over to Ava. “You have a beautiful name.”

Ava smiles. “I like your name too.”

“Aw, you’re an absolute sweetheart.”

“Were you guys working on the shop?” Raven asks.

Lexa nods. “Yeah, built some furniture, set up the office and cleared out the cool room.” She takes the spare menus on the table and hands one to Anya. “Just need the electrician to come in and we’re still waiting on a few more tables.”

“What type of shop are you opening?” Ava asks.

Lexa smiles and stops reading the menu for the time being. “I’m going to sell flowers.”

“Oh I love flowers! Mummy loves flowers too.”

“Is that so?” Lexa raises her eyebrow.

Ava nods. “I like red flowers.”

“Well when the shop opens you can come visit and I’ll let you have as much red ones you want.”

Ava’s eyes widen with excitement and turns to her mum. “Can we go to the shop, please, please, please.”

Clarke laughs. “Sure thing, sweetie.” She turns to Lexa and smiles, “When are you expecting to open?”

“In a weeks’ time,” Lexa replies. “Unless something happens this coming week, we’re pretty much right on track.”

Just at that moment their waiter comes up to the table and takes their orders. Clarke, Raven, Anya and Lexa then fall into casual conversation as Ava occupies herself with drawing on some paper the waiter has given her.

Halfway during their meal, Anya and Raven find themselves talking about the latest basketball game. Clarke isn't really following the conversation and notices that Lexa isn’t as well, so she turns to the woman, “Raven tells me your kids are in year 2?”

“Mm,” Lexa hums as she finishes chewing her food. “Mia and Aden. You’re the year 2 teacher at Arkadia?”

Clarke nods. “I am. I'm sure they're going to be fine if you’ve got any nerves about them starting a new school.”

“Is it _that_ obvious?” Lexa laughs.

“No, no,” Clarke reassures. “But I can imagine. New place, new home, new school, it’s got to be a big change for them.”

Lexa hums in response. “We moved from Polis. We use to live right in the middle of the city so it definitely is a big change for them. For _me_ as well.”

“It must be nice being closer to your sister.”

Lexa leans in a little closer. “It is,” she whispers, “But don’t tell her I said that. She won’t let me hear the end of it.”

Clarke laughs a little. “My lips are sealed.”

Lexa returns back to her normal seating position and continues to eat. “Do you have any siblings?”

Clarke shakes her head. “But I have Raven and if having a sister is anything like her, I’m glad I’m the only child.”

Lexa laughs and Raven leans across the table to whack Clarke softly. “I heard that!”

Clarke laughs too and pushes Raven back. “Please don’t crush my daughter,” she jokes.

Raven pulls Ava into a hug and kisses the top of her head. “I would never crush my little Cheesecake.”

“Cheesecake?” Lexa asks.

Clarke rolls her eyes at Raven and turns back to Lexa. “It’s a long story.”

The rest of dinner goes by really well. Clarke learns a little more about Lexa and the florist she’s opening and Lexa talks more about Mia and Aden. Clarke does the same, she tells Lexa a little more about work and Ava and her life in general. There’s this very calming and comforting feeling as she talks to Lexa. She definitely thinks it’s the fact that they’re both mothers and it makes her feel very connected to the woman.

Even when they bill is paid for, the five of them linger for a little while longer, just talking about what they had going on in the upcoming week. Clarke watches as Lexa reaches into her bag and takes out a green and red marker. Lexa then takes the receipt and rips it in half – colouring one half red and the other green. Clarke is intrigued to say the least, not really seeing where Lexa was going with this. Lexa then proceeds to fold the paper intricately.

Ava turns her focus to Lexa. “What are you making?”

“You’ll see in a minute,” Lexa smiles.

Clarke smiles and continues to watch Lexa fold the receipt. It’s a minute or two later that Lexa is finished and her heart is basically singing. Lexa’s made a flower out of the receipt (the flower being red and the stem being green) and she hands it over to Ava.

“For you,” Lexa says. “Until I can give you some real red flowers.”

Ava holds the flower very carefully in her hands, scared that she’s going to ruin it. The smile of her face is as wide as ever.

Clarke nudges her daughter slightly, “What do you say, Ava?”

“Thank you,” Ava smiles. “But I have nothing to give _you.”_

“It’s okay,” Lexa replies.

Ava frowns a little. “No it’s not.” Her eyes then go wide like she’s just had an epiphany of some sorts. She reaches for the strong of her Dory balloon and offers it to Lexa. “You can have Dory.”

“Oh no, sweetie. It’s okay.”

“Pleaseeeeeeeee,” Ava coos.

Raven smirks. “She’s very persistent. She’s not going to stop unless you take it.”

“I can’t take a balloon from a child.”

Clarke laughs. “Raven’s right.”

Lexa sighs a little and turns back to Ava and accepts the balloon. “Thank you, Ava.”

“Don’t lose her. Or there will be a Finding Dory 2,” she jokes.

Lexa laughs. Like she actually laughs. “You’re a funny kid.”

“She learnt from the best,” Raven says, as she wraps her arm around Ava’s shoulder.

Anya scoffs lightly. “You’ve got a horrible sense of humour, Reyes.”

“No I don’t.”

Anya nods. “You do.”

And the banter goes back and forth for another couple of minutes before they decide that it’s time they leave the restaurant. Once they’re outside, Lexa offers to drive them home, but Clarke reassures them that it’s okay. It’s a very safe area and with plenty of people still heading home after the day’s work, she’s got no concerns.

Lexa kneels down to Ava’s level and smiles. “Thanks for the balloon.”

“Thank you for the flower,” Ava replies.

“Can I get a hug?” Ava nods and steps forward, wrapping her arms around Lexa. Lexa pulls back from the hug slightly. “Can you keep a secret?”

Clarke watches as Ava nods ecstatically as Lexa leans forward to whisper something that has her daughter left in a fit of giggles.

“You can’t tell anyone, okay?” Lexa says. “Not your mum or your Aunt Raven.”

“Okay.”

Lexa holds out her pinkie a wiggles it slightly. “Pinkie promise.” They link their pinkies for a moment and share another small smile. Soon enough Lexa stands back up and turns to Clarke, “It was really nice meeting you, Clarke.”

“Likewise.” Clarke steps forward and goes to give Lexa a quick hug. Despite it being a quick hug, she still manages to get a quick breath of Lexa’s perfume and she’s sure she almost melts into the hug.

“I’m having a house warming party on Friday,” Lexa says as she breaks away from the hug. “If you’re free, you and Ava should come by. 11am till whenever really.” She turns to Raven, “You too.”

Raven nods. “I should be able to come later in the afternoon. I might have a few things to do at work.”

“I should be free,” Clarke replies.

Lexa smiles. “Do you have Facebook?” Clarke nods. “Okay, I’ll just add you later tonight and invite you to the event.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Clarke, Raven and Ava say their final goodbyes to Anya and Lexa after that. Once they start to walk home, Clarke holds her daughter hand whilst Raven holds the other.

“So what do you think of Lexa?” Raven asks.

“I LOVE LEXA!” Ava screams.

Clarke and Raven both laugh at the response. “What did Lexa whisper to you?” Clarke asks.

Ava shakes her head. “It’s a secret.”

“Oh you can tell me.”

“Na-ah,” Ava replies. “Secret.”

Raven laughs. “Yeah, Clarke. It’s a secret.”

“LEXA’S SO COOL!”

Clarke looks down to her daughter. “Cooler than me?” she asks.

Ava nods unapologetically. “She made a flower out of paper!”

Clarke places her hand over her heart to mock being offended. Raven laughs.

“She’s pretty cool, isn’t she?” Clarke asks Ava, to which her daughter responds by grinning widely.

Raven smirks. “She’s pretty H-O-T too, yeah?”

“ _Hot_?” Ava asks. “Is Lexa sick?”

Raven bursts into laughter and is unable to come up with a reasonable response.

“Don’t listen to Auntie Raven,” Clarke says. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

“Oh I know what I’m talking about. And I know that you know what I’m talking about.”

“I’m confused,” Ava says.

Clarke gives her daughter’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Me too, love” She looks up to Raven and mouths “Shut up.” Raven just smirks in response and the three of them continue to make their way home.

 

* * *

 

“So what do you think of Clarke?” Anya asks as she drives them home.

“She’s cool,” Lexa replies.

“She’s also very single,” Anya smirks.

“Don’t.”

“Oh come on,” Anya laughs. “I’m just teasing.” She pauses as they come to a red light. “However, don’t think I didn’t see you guys in your own little world at dinner.”

“I was just getting to know her,” Lexa defends.

“Hmm, is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Anya teases. “I know you. I know when you’re flirting. You get these heart eyes and they were all over Clarke.”

The light goes green again and Lexa simply tuts in response. She remembers the balloon in the back seat and smiles. “Ava’s a sweetheart,” she says, trying to change the topic of conversation.

Anya laughs and goes along with it. “She is. I think she and Mia will get a long really well.”

The conversation dies down from there, with Lexa plugging in her phone to the AUX cord. However, her mind wonders to what Anya had said moments earlier about Clarke being single. Curiosity soon gets the better of her. 

“Ava’s dad?” Lexa asks.

“Finn Collins. They weren’t in a relationship for long before Clarke got pregnant,” Anya says. “From what Clarke’s told me he just wasn’t ready to be a dad.”

“Does Ava know about him?”

Anya nods. “Finn works out on an oil rig and during his time off he does a lot of volunteer work overseas. But he does visit every now and then. Ava knows that Finn is her dad but she also knows that he and Clarke aren’t together.”

“So everything is… amicable between them?”

“From what I can tell, yeah,” Anya replies. “Why? Thinking about asking Clarke out?”

Lexa rolls her eyes. “No… we literally just moved here, Anya. I’ve got the store to open and…”

“And that’s it,” Anya finishes.

“It’s not, though. This is a big change. The last thing on my mind right now is dating.”

“Okay. Fair enough.”

Lexa is grateful that Anya seems to drop the conversation (at least for now). She’s not going to deny it; Clarke is very attractive in every possible way. Lexa found her heart fluttering a handful times during their dinner. Clarke’s laugh, her smile, the way her eyes just sparkled a shade of blue that was so… pure, the way she engages in conversations and the obvious love she has for her daughter (and those she loved) were just a few of the attributes that she found endearing.

But the possibility of dating (in general) is just the last thing on her mind right now. The only thing she can focus on is making sure that the move to Arkadia is easy and smooth as possible for Mia, Aden and herself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also im following the sydney/australian school timetable. so we start in late jan, go to school for 10 or so weeks, have a 2 week holiday and then repeat. 
> 
> this fic is set between the term 2 and 3 holidays so we're around early july :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lexa takes the kids to IKEA where they bump into some familiar faces. also lexa has her house warming party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just in case you wanted to know:  
> Mia and Aden are 7 and in year 2  
> Ava is 6 and in year 1  
> Rosie and Ben (Bellamy's twins) are 9 and year 4  
> Lucas (Octavia & Lincoln's son) is 8 months
> 
> happy reading!

Come Wednesday, Lexa is taking Mia and Aden out for the day. They were going to go to IKEA to buy some tables, chairs and other little things for the house. The kids also need various school supplies so the plan is to hopefully have everything they need by the end of the day.

The past couple of days have been pretty hectic in terms of setting up the florist. But Lexa’s managed quite well given everything. Mia and Aden don’t complain too much when they have to spend the better part of the day in the shop, as Lexa worked the final touches of the store. And surprisingly, during this time she manages to squeeze in meeting her new employees; Maya, Harper and Monroe.

Once Lexa parks the car, she’s up and out to open the door for her kids. They don’t even take ten steps before Lexa spots some familiar faces up ahead. Clarke and Ava are just stepping out of their car as well. When Clarke sees them, she waves.

“Hey,” Lexa greets. She turns to Ava and smiles, “Morning Ava.”

“Morning Lexa!”

Lexa points to her kids, “This is Aden and Mia. Mia, Aden, this is Clarke and her daughter, Ava.”

“Hello,” Aden greets to Clarke.

Mia points to Ava’s shirt and smiles. “I have the same shirt.”

“Here for IKEA for just some normal shopping?” Clarke asks Lexa after saying hello to the kids.

“Both,” Lexa replies. “Stuff for the kids mostly and other little things for the house. What about you?”

“IKEA meatballs to be honest,” Clarke laughs.

Lexa laughs a little too. “Do you want to go in together?”

“That sounds great.”

So the five of them make their way towards the IKEA entrance. The kids giggle and laugh as they talk about random things and Clarke and Lexa talk about what they’ve been up to since dinner the other night. Once they get into the store Lexa excuses herself for just a moment to talk to one of the employees about setting up a delivery service for the things she’s going to buy today.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take long and she’s back with Clarke and the kids as they start to make their way through the store. They walk through the show rooms first, with the kids walking slightly ahead of them as they enjoy the displays.

“ _Mum can we get this lamp?”_

_“Why can’t out kitchen look like this?”_

_“BEAN BAGS!”_

They take their time going through the show rooms. Neither of them had anything else planned for the day so they let their kids get to know each other a little more (with the bonus of Clarke and Lexa getting to know each other too.)

Lexa follows Mia into one of the kitchen displays where Clarke is opening up a few of the cupboards. “Did you always want to be a teacher?”

Clarke shakes her head. “My first semester at college I actually went into doing medicine.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Clarke smiles. “My mums a trauma surgeon and I thought I wanted to follow in her footsteps.”

“What changed your mind?” Lexa asks as they make their way into the next show room.

“I was tutoring high school kids at the same time and kind of just realised that I loved teaching.”

“But not teaching high school kids?”

Clarke laughs. “God no. I remember when I was in high school, I was horrible. I don’t think I have the patience for hormonal young teenagers.” The next show room they end up in is a kid’s bedroom where Mia and Ava are lying on the bed as Aden sits on a beanbag and reads a book. “What about you? I heard you were a finance manager back in Polis?”

“I was,” Lexa nods. “I studied accounting and finance in college. Got a grad job right after I finished.”

“Ah so you’re a big nerd,” Clarke jokes.

“Says the woman who started off in medicine and tutored.”

They walk into a living room where Clarke takes a seat on the couch, with Lexa sitting right beside her. “It’s a big change, finance manager to florist. Can I ask why?”

Lexa hums in response. “It is. I mean the job was good… steady… but it just took a lot out of me, you know? It started to buy into my family time and that wasn’t something I was going to give up.” Clarke nods. “But then my wife was diagnosed with cancer so I took some time off to focus on her and the kids.”

“It couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t.” Lexa looks over to Mia and Aden who were chasing Ava in the show room across from the one they were sitting in. “I’m guessing someone’s told you about this already?”

Clarke nods. “I’m sorry, we don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.”

“It’s okay,” Lexa replies. “I don’t mind talking about it.”

“How old were Mia and Aden when she was diagnosed?”

“Four. It was very hard trying to explain what was going on with their mum.” Lexa stands up from the couch and Clarke does the same as they follow their kids through to the next show room.

“What was her name?”

“Costia,” Lexa smiles.

“That’s a beautiful name.” Lexa nods and offers another small smile. “How long were you together for?”

“Nearly 12 years.”

Clarke’s eyes go wide. “Wow. So I’m guessing high school sweethearts?”

“Yeah. She was a year older than me and we started dating when I was in year 11. Married five years later and had Mia and Aden two years after that.”

Clarke offers a small and comforting smile and Lexa is glad that she hasn’t said “I’m sorry,” or some variation of condolences. While Lexa completely understands why people offer it, she’s just glad that she’s able to talk about Costia this way. With Clarke, Lexa finds an unfamiliar sense of comfort as she talks about her past. It definitely surprises her because she’s usually a little more guarded about Costia – but with Clarke she finds herself in a place where she feels safe to share her story.

Lexa leans against the counter of the next kitchen show room they walk into. She watches as Mia and Ava pretend to cook a meal. “I can’t lie… I did ask Anya about you and your relationship with Ava’s dad,” she whispers, worried that she may be over stepping.

“Oh yeah, that’s fine,” Clarke reassures. “I was the one to ask Raven a little about you too.”

Lexa smiles again.

“There isn’t much to the story,” Clarke shrugs. “Finn and I met through a mutual friend and dated for like two months before I got pregnant. We were only 23 at the time and he wasn’t ready to be a dad and I wasn’t going to force him to be one.”

“And you were ready to be a mum?” Lexa asks.

Clarke shakes her head. “God no. But having a child has always been in the picture for me… it just happened a lot sooner than I would have thought.”

“It’s the best feeling though, isn’t it? Being a mum?” At that moment they both look over to their kids and back to each other. They share the exact same smile and they just know that they both currently feeling the same things.

“It sure is,” Clarke replies. “Ava knows Finn is her dad and she understands that we aren’t together like how a lot of her friends’ parents are.”

“When was the last time you guys saw him?”

Clarke thinks about it a little. “About two months ago. He works a lot, whether it’s out on the oil rig or volunteering, he’s someone who always has to be doing something. But whenever he’s in town he always makes time to see Ava.”

“I’m glad things worked out for you guys,” Lexa says honestly.

Clarke smiles. “Me too. God only knows it could have been the complete opposite.”

Lexa nods in agreement and they continue through the showroom. The conversation shifts as they start to critique the show rooms with Aden, Mia and Ava. Both Mia and Ava agree that all the rooms should have flowers in them to make them look prettier. Aden dismisses the idea and says that all the rooms should have more wooden décor. It’s a reply that surprises both Clarke and Lexa who both agree with his statement nonetheless.

They walk into another living room where there is a series of light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. “What’s the point of this?” Clarke asks. “Why use like 7 light bulbs when you have just one?”

Lexa laughs. “It’s aesthetically pleasing, Clarke.”

“Would you put it in your house?”

“Probably,” Lexa replies honestly.

“Oh no…”

“What?”

“Tell me,” Clarke grins, “Are you one of those people who loves candles?”

Lexa frowns a little, “How did you come up with _that_ from me saying that these lights are aesthetically pleasing?”

“You’re not denying it.”

“I–”

“Mama loves candles,” Aden casually says as he walks past.

Clarke laughs. “And we all know that kids don’t lie.”

“I can’t believe my own son just went against me,” Lexa says as she ruffles Aden’s hair.

“Stoooop,” Aden whines as he fixes his hair.

“Ha!” Now we’re even,” Clarke laughs.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… I tried to ask Ava what the secret was and she’s pretty adamant on keeping it.”

Lexa grins. “It’s killing you not knowing isn’t it?”

“Yeah, kind of. She was giggling the moment you said the secret and whenever I bring it up she just starts giggling. Watch this.” She pauses and turns to her daughter. “Ava, can you tell me the secret Lexa told you the other night?”

Ava looks right to Lexa and giggles again. “It’s a secret!” she calls back.

“Can I know the secret?” Mia asks.

Aden steps towards his sister and Ava too, “Oh I want to know as well.”

“You can tell them,” Lexa replies. “But it’s a secret so you have to whisper it.”

All the kids grin. “Cover your ears, mum,” Ava says.

Instead, Lexa steps closer to Clarke and covers Clarke’s ears herself. She sends a playful wink towards Ava, “She won’t be able to hear anything.” They watch as Ava whispers the secret into Mia’s ear first and then into Aden’s and it’s not a surprise when the three of them all start giggling again. A big wave of happiness washes over Lexa and she can’t contain the smile on her face. She takes her hands off of Clarke’s ear, “Sorry, you’re not cool enough to know the secret.”

“I can’t believe my daughter has joined your side,” Clarke jokes.

“She’s a smart kid.”

They come to the end of the showroom and enter the market hall. Lexa grabs a trolley as Clarke grabs a hand basket and they go off to find what they came in for. Aden and Mia guide her towards the kid’s study tables, where they have a range to choose form. The kids sit on all various chairs and knock softly at the table tops. It’s about ten minutes later that Aden and Mia choose their tables and chairs and Lexa is writing down the name and codes for them.

Lexa picks up a few other things; lamps, clocks, small bookshelves, a couple of potted plants and some photo frames. She lets Aden and Mia pick out a handful of other little decorative pieces for the house as well.

Lexa stands in front of some $1 mugs and contemplates her decision on whether she should get some. But in the back of her mind she can already hear Anya gawking away if she does.

“You don’t need $1 mugs,” Clarke says as she walks up to her. “Because then you’re going to want to buy some plates because they’re only 80c and some cutlery because they’re really shiny and nicely shaped and next thing you know you have a whole new set of dinnerware you don’t need.”

Lexa laughs and puts the mug down. “Speaking from past experience?”

“Yeah,” Clarke nods. “But I’ve learnt.” She holds up her basket, “That’s why I don’t push a trolley because I know I will leave with the whole store.” Clarke looks down to the trolley Lexa is pushing and grins, “Case and point.”

Lexa looks down to her trolley too and then back up to Clarke. “In my defence, we did _just_ move here.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Clarke teases.

They join each other again and continue to walk through the market hall, making light and casual conversation as the kids pick out a few more items to buy. By the time they reach the checkout line, Clarke picks up a lint roller and places it into her basket. “Want one?” she asks.

Lexa bites her bottom lip but just as she’s about the reply, Mia speaks up. “Noooo, Aunt Anya said no more rollers.”

Clarke raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because we have like A HUNDRED of them in our garage,” Mia replies.

Aden nods. “It’s true.”

Clarke chuckles and looks up to Lexa. “A hundred?”

“Not a hundred,” Lexa corrects as she rolls her eyes playfully. “More like… 45?”

“What?!”

Lexa laughs. “You have your new dinnerware IKEA story and I have my 50 lint rollers IKEA story.”

 

Once they pass the checkout, they head into the café section and find a table for themselves. Lexa offers to go and buy some food so they can just share a few plates between the five of them. As she stands in line, she looks over to Clarke and kids and she finds herself smiling. Aden is telling a joke again, and from what she can see he’s struggling to get to the punchline because he’s laughing too much. Clarke catches her starring and sends a quick wink before turning her attention back to Aden.

A couple of minutes later Lexa is returning to the table with two plates of meatballs and a plate of chicken and chips. Lexa hands out some napkins and forks and they all start to dig into the food.

The kids finish eating first and ask if they can play on the playground for a little while. The playground is right by the café and Clarke and Lexa would have a clear view of them, so they say yes. They watch the kids jump in excitement and make their way over.

“Aden and Mia seem to get along really well,” Clarke comments.

“You just caught them on a good day,” Lexa laughs. “They have their days where all they do is argue.”

“Really?”

Lexa nods. “A couple of weeks ago they didn’t talk to each other for the whole day. Didn’t work out in the end though because they shared a room back in Polis.”

“Do they have their own rooms here?”

“Hmm,” Lexa hums as she finishes chewing on more of her food. “They’re really excited for that.”

“I bet,” Clarke replies.

They both return their focus to the kids and smile again as they see Ava and Aden chasing Mia. And just like that, they both turn back to look at each other at the same time – the smiles on their faces only growing. They both let out a small chuckle and return to finishing the food.

Lexa finds herself utterly captivated by Clarke and it definitely scares her. Clarke is funny, kind, smart and such a joy to be around. There is a warmth and comfort that simply radiates from the woman and Lexa feels content and safe. And it’s definitely scary because no one has made her feel like _this_ since… since Costia.

Clarke takes a sip of her drink and looks over to Lexa, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Lexa nods.

“Stop me if I’m overstepping or anything… Because I don’t want to make you feel–”

Lexa places her hand over Clarke’s and offers a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, just ask what you want to ask.”

Clarke lets out a small breath. “Have you… dated anyone since your wife passed?” When Lexa doesn’t reply straight away, she shakes her head and apologises. “Forget I said anything. You don’t have to answer it.”

“It’s okay,” Lexa replies. “I was just trying to think whether the one date I had would be considered a date.” She picks up her drink and takes a sip before putting it back down. “I went on a Tinder date.”

“Really? I know I haven’t known you long but that doesn’t really seem like your thing.”

“It’s not,” Lexa laughs. “But Anya convinced me to do it. So I got the app and talked to a few girls and I eventually met up with one of them.”

“But you don’t know if it was a date?”

“Well… it was but it didn’t feel like a date _at all.”_ Lexa pauses. “I think I was very awkward because you know… I was with Costia since high school. Dating wasn’t something I had to worry about.”

“Well I think you did just fine today,” Clarke says without really thinking.

Lexa raises and eyebrow, “Was this a date?” she asks playfully.

“Oh no– no– I didn’t mean it like that. I meant– I–” Clarke drops her head into her hands and sighs.

Lexa chuckles a little to try and lighten the mood. “I’m just teasing, Clarke. I think I know what you were trying to say.” She smiles as Clarke lifts her head up again and Lexa’s heart couldn’t help but flutter at the mumbling mess Clarke was reduced to. “What about you?”

“Me?” Clarke asks. “Dates?”

Lexa nods.

“Uhh, yeah. My had a couple of dates after Ava turned 1 but they never really went anywhere after the second or so date.” Clarke pauses to take a sip of her drink. “Then when Ava was about 4 I met Niylah and we dated for about three months.”

“Did she meet Ava?”

Clarke nods. “They got along really well. Niylah was great and things between us were really good.”

“I’m guessing things didn’t work out?” Lexa asks.

“She got a job in the UK she couldn’t pass up,” Clarke replies. “So yeah…”

Ava then comes back and Clarke pulls her daughter to sit on her lap. “Mummy, I’m tired.”

Clarke brushes Ava’s hair out of her eyes and smiles. “Okay, we can head home and you can sleep in the car.”

Lexa smiles as she watches Clarke then braid Ava’s hair quickly. Mia and Aden join them again and say that they’re pretty tired as well. So Lexa clears the table and they all start to make their way back to their car.

When they reach Clarke’s car, Ava hugs Mia and they declare that they’re already best friends. It’s gets everyone smiling.

“I had a good time today,” Lexa says.

Clarke smiles. “Me too, Lexa.” She looks down to the kids, “It was really nice meeting you guys.”

“I’ll see you Friday?” Lexa asks.

Clarke nods and steps forward and gives Lexa a quick hug. It’s shorter than either of them would have liked but anything longer would probably be over-doing it as this stage of their friendship.

 

* * *

 

Ava unlocks the door to their apartment since Clarke’s hands were busy carrying the stuff from IKEA. Once they were in they spot Raven, Octavia and Lucas on the couch.

“Cheesecake!” Raven and Octavia both call out.

Ava runs up to them and greets them with a warm hug each.

Clarke puts down the bag and makes her way towards the couches. Without saying anything she goes to take Lucas and places a few kisses on his cheek. “You cutie,” she mumbles.

Octavia pulls Ava to sit on her lap. “How was shopping?”

“It was so much fuuuun!” Ava claps a little and bounces against Octavia’s lap. “We saw Lexa and Aden and Mia. Mia is now my best friend.”

Raven looks up to Clarke, “You went IKEA shopping with Lexa?” she asks with a grin.

“Don’t start,” Clarke warns. “We bumped into each other at the car park.”

“Did mummy and Lexa talk a lot?” Raven asks Ava.

Ava nods excitedly. “They laughed and smiled too. Just like how Aden and Mia made me laugh and smile.”

“Really now?” Raven looks back up to Clarke.

Clarke rolls her eyes, “We are not doing this.”

“And what is it that we aren’t doing?” Octavia asks.

Clarke doesn’t reply but rather takes Lucas around to the kitchen so she can grab a bottle of water for herself. “Your mummy and Aunt Raven are so mean,” she whispers to him playfully.

“Hey!” both Octavia and Raven call out.

 

The rest of the afternoon they spend just chilling, mostly. Raven works away at her laptop but manages to still be pretty present in the conversation. And by 5pm Ava is in the bath, Lucas is a sleep and Clarke and Octavia are watching Raven cook dinner for them.

“So really, how was your day with Lexa?” Octavia asks.

“It was nice,” Clarke replies honestly. “We talked and got to know each other a little more. Aden and Mia are really great kids too.”

Raven whips around from the stove. “You should ask her out.”

“Come on, Raven,” Clarke sighs.

“I’m being serious.”

Octavia nods. “I can see you guys working.”

“Me with Ava? And Lexa with her kids?” Clarke asks.

Raven nods. “If anyone’s going to understand what being a single mother is like it’s going to be her. And judging by the smile that’s on your face whenever she’s bought up in conversation, you like her. Ava likes her too.”

“She just moved here. I don’t think dating is something she’s looking in to right now.” Clarke says. She’s not going to lie, Lexa is very beautiful and definitely someone who she would date. But it was never as simple as that. “I’m going to be their teacher, wouldn’t that make things complicated?”

Octavia smiles. “So you would date her if you weren’t teaching Aden and Mia?”

“Is that all you got from that?”

“Basically,” Octavia smirks. “But I get what you’re saying.”

“You’re only going to be their teacher for the rest of the year. What are the chances you teach year 3 next year?” Raven points out. “You taught year 3 last year, right?”

Clarke nods but then quickly shakes her head. “Okay if I’m being honest, Lexa is great and so are Aden and Mia. And yes I would ask her out if she was interested as well – but I doubt she is. She just moved here, she’s setting up her shop and she’s probably got a lot on her plate.”

“Would it hurt to ask?” Octavia whispers.

“Maybe… It would make things awkward and I don’t want to do that to her or the kids.”

 

After dinner, Lincoln is over and picking up Octavia and Lucas. Clarke, Raven and Ava find themselves cuddled up on the couch as they watch an episode of The Simpsons. They actually end up watching two episodes, with Ava yawning by the end of it. Clarke lifts her daughter into her arms and makes her way towards Ava’s bedroom.

“Night sweetheart,” Clarke whispers as she places Ava into her bed. She lifts the blankets over her daughter’s body and kisses the top of her head.

“Night mummy.”

Clarke smiles and starts to make her way out of the room. But what catches her attention is the paper flower Lexa had made the other night pinned to Ava’s cork board. Her heart sings because this just wasn’t any cork board – but a board filled with Ava’s most precious things. There were various polaroids and awards, a necklace Finn had made her and other little memorabilia. Clarke pulls out her phone and takes a quick photo before shutting the light and closing the door.

Stepping back into the living room, she takes a seat back on the couch.

“You want to finish watching the episode of Stranger Things?” Raven asks.

“Oh I finished in already,” Clarke replies.

Raven gasps, “How could you!?”  

“Do we have to recall the time that you watched Orphan Black finale without me?”

“I said I was sorry!” Raven defends.

Clarke laughs. “Just play the rest of the episode. I can probably watch another one before I call it a night.”

“It’s barely 9.”

“I’m getting old.”

So Raven plays the rest of the episode. Clarke pulls out her phone to occupy herself for the time being, finding her way to Lexa’s Facebook profile. As she scrolls further down, she’s careful to not to accidently _like_ anything. She doesn’t need Lexa knowing that she’s been going through her page.

Lexa’s not very active on the site, with most of the photos being of Aden and Mia at various stages of their life. It’s very cute. There are a lot of photos with Aden playing various sports and a couple of his pretty impressive drawings. And as for Mia, there’s a few videos of the young girl playing the piano which was also really impressive.

When she sees that Lexa is online, she opens up the messenger app and sends the photo of the paper flower to her.

**Clarke Griffin**  
[image]  
Ava put your flower on her special wall

**Lexa Woods**  
I’m flattered and honoured.  
If I had known I would have put  
a little more effort into it.

**Clarke Griffin**  
It’s okay. I can barely fold paper in  
half so your flower is a masterpiece  
in our books

**Lexa Woods**  
I have an origami book you can  
borrow if you like

 

“What are you smiling at?” Raven asks.

Clarke shakes her head, “Nothing.”

 

**Lexa Woods**  
You don’t do origami in school   
anymore? I remember doing it   
when I was in primary

**Clarke Griffin**  
It’s been a long time since you’ve  
been in primary.

**Lexa Woods  
** Are you saying I’m old, Clarke Griffin?

**Clarke Griffin  
** Yes I am.

**Lexa Woods**  
Well Facebook tells me you’re only a   
year younger than I am. So that makes  
you pretty old too

**Clarke Griffin**  
Oh I know. I feel like I’m 50  
sometimes

**Lexa Woods**  
I know how you feel  
We’re a couple of old souls

**Clarke Griffin**  
I feel like I should say something  
wise but my mind has been taken  
over by your 50 lint rollers story

**Lexa Woods**  
[image]  
I counted I have 42 left.  
Would you like one?

 

“That grin on your face is getting annoying.”

“Bite me Raven.”

Raven places her hand over heart to mock being offended. “I can’t believe you speak to your daughter with that tongue.”

Clarke simply shakes her head and laughs.

**Clarke Griffin**  
Oh so you offer AFTER I’ve already  
bought one?

**Lexa Woods**  
Let me rephrase, would you   
like another one?

**Clarke Griffin  
** Make it two and we have a deal

**Lexa Woods**  
I can’t believe we’re talking about  
lint rollers. We’re a couple of boring  
old souls.

**Clarke Griffin**  
Speak for yourself  
I’m awesome

**Lexa Woods  
** Ava?

**Clarke Griffin  
** What?

**Lexa Woods**  
Oh so it’s still you, Clarke? I just   
didn’t think adults say stuff like  
“I’m awesome” unless it’s like a  
dad joke or something

**Clarke Griffin  
** Okay ha-ha you’re so funny

**Lexa Woods  
** Your sarcasm is duly noted.

So what are you up to this fine  
Wednesday night?

**Clarke Griffin**  
Watching Stranger Things with Raven  
What about you?

**Lexa Woods**  
Not much. Kids just went to sleep.  
They like you a lot, by the way and  
I told them that you’re going to be  
their teacher this term. I hope that’s  
okay

**Clarke Griffin  
** Of course it’s okay! Aden and Mia  
are great and I know that they’ll do  
just fine once the school term starts ****  
  


Clarke puts down her phone when Lexa doesn’t reply right away. The grin on her face is still evident as ever as she recalls the day she’s just had. It’s been a while since someone has made her this… giddy. It honestly felt she was in high school again and crushing on the school’s head cheerleader again.

 

* * *

 

Lexa reads Clarke’s message and smiles. She’s just about to reply when she sees her sister is calling.

“Hello?” she answers.

“ _Just calling to see if you brought another fifty lint rollers today,”_ Anya greets

Lexa laughs. “You’ll be glad to hear that I did not.”

“ _Did you get everything you need?”_

Lexa nods to herself and starts to close off the lights in the house. “I think so. Tables, chairs, school bags….”

“ _Did you get the delivery service?”_

“Yeah,” Lexa replies. She opens the door to her own room and sits on her bed. “It should all be here tomorrow. I bumped into Clarke and Ava at the store too.”

“ _Really?”_

Lexa sighs and rolls her eyes. She can just hear the smirk on Anya’s face over the phone. “Yeah.”

“ _And did you guys shop together?”_

“We did. It would have been weird if we didn’t?” Lexa tries to defend.

“ _Mmm, not really. You guys have only known each other a couple of days. How was it?”_

“How was what?” Lexa asks.

“ _Your date with Clarke and Ava.”_

“I hate you, you know that?” Lexa sighs again. “We just went shopping together, as _friends.”_

“ _I’m just teasing.”_

“It was… nice though. Really nice. And it’s definitely a comforting feeling knowing that she’s going to be Mia and Aden’s teach for the rest of the year. I’m a little less worried about them starting a new school.”

“ _You have nothing to be worried about. Arkadia is a great school with great teachers.”_

Lexa hums in response. “How was your day?”

_“Same old, same old. New dresses, new photoshoots…”_

“Oh it must be hard doing something you love everyday,” Lexa jokes.

“ _It is. It is very hard.”_

Lexa laughs and they two of them talk about another fifteen minutes before saying their goodbyes. After the call, Lexa hops in to her shower and lets herself go numb under the almost scolding hot water. The steam fills the room but it helps her clear her mind a little.

What’s on her mind is not the move to Arkadia, because that was going well. She had her family and friends close by and everyone she’s met so far has been nothing but warm and welcoming. It’s just that one of those people has really taken her by surprise. Clarke is… a breath of fresh air. Not that this move hasn’t been new and exciting but there’s something about the woman that Lexa finds absolutely intriguing.

But she knew that – at least from her side of things, she wasn’t looking to be with anyone right now. Her focus needs to be on her family first and making sure that they settled into their new home without any problems.

But that doesn’t stop her from letting her mind wonder to the possibility of having more with Clarke. It’s not an easy thought though, they were both single parents, Clarke was going to be Mia and Aden’s teacher and were part of the same circle of friends. It all seems really complicated at this point.

 

* * *

 

The following day the IKEA delivery van arrives by 10am, which gives Lexa plenty of time to go through everything. Mia and Aden enthusiastically help build their tables and chairs (and they get everything right on their first go). They also go through the other things they had brought at IKEA, finding a place for all the decorative pieces.

 

* * *

 

Friday rolls around quickly and next thing Lexa knows, she’s opening the door to her parents who have driven down for the house warming party. Anya is also by pretty early to help set up, as are Lincoln, Octavia and Lucas.

Her guests arrive at a steady rate, all dropping by house warming gifts for them as well. It’s not a large group of people – mostly friends she’s known from her past and relatives who live close by. Lexa makes sure she goes around to everyone and thanks them for coming by personally.

It’s been a while since she’s been surrounded by this much of her friends and family and it’s nice. She, Mia and Aden might still be trying to find a home in Arkadia, but if there was one thing she could count on it would be the fact that she will always find home with the people here.

The doorbell rings and Lexa excuses herself from the current group of friends. When she opens the door she sees Clarke and Ava standing on the other side. “Hey,” she smiles, leaning in to give Clarke a quick hug. “Glad you could make it.”

Clarke hugs her back. “Of course.” She hands over the bag to Lexa, “This is a house warming present for you and the kids.”

“Aw you didn’t have to, but thank you,” Lexa replies. “Hi Ava.”

Ava grins. “Hello.”

“Mia is in her room with Rosie if you wanted to go see her.” Ava looks up to her mum and Clarke nods. “Her room is the one with butterfly stickers on it,” Lexa says. And Ava is running off without another word.

“This is a beautiful house,” Clarke says as she steps inside.

Lexa smiles. “Would you like a tour?”

“Sure.”

So Lexa guides them into the living room first and Clarke makes her way towards the piano. She runs her fingers along the keys softly and looks back up to Lexa. “Do you play?” she asks.

Lexa nods. “Do you?”

“Do you mind?” Clarke asks as she takes a seat on the stool.

“Not at all.”

Clarke takes up half the seat and pats the empty side for Lexa to sit as well. They share a small smile before she starts to play.

After Clarke plays the first few notes, Lexa recognises the song. It’s Snow Patrol’s _Chasing Cars_ and there’s quite literally a pang in her chest (blame Grey’s Anatomy for that). It’s a song she just so happens to know how to pay as well. But watching Clarke is beautiful. Her fingers move seamlessly across the keys but it’s when she starts singing that Lexa is at a loss for word.

“ _We’ll do it all, everything, on our own,”_ Clarke sings, “ _We don’t need, anything, or anyone…”_

And in this moment, it’s like it’s just the two of them. Forget her family and friends who are in the same house, Lexa lets herself fall into the moment as Clarke continues to play and sing. It sends a shiver down her spine.

_“I don’t quite know, how to say, how I feel…”_

Without really thinking, Lexa brings her right hand up to take over Clarke’s right hand. It seems to surprise Clarke for a moment, but the two of them manage to find a good rhythm to continue playing.

“ _If I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?”_

They don’t notice that they start to draw a crowd (or they do but they choose to ignore it). It’s indescribable this feeling that washes over Lexa. She’s played this piano time and time again, but this time it feels different. It feels like the sounds are clearer and more crisp, her fingers seem to move more freely than she’s use to and there is something about Clarke’s voice that has her own heart singing.

“ _Let’s waste time, chasing cars, around our heads…”_

_“Forget what we’re told, before we get too old…”_

_“Just know that these things will never change for us at all…”_

_“If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you like with me and just forget the world…”_

Clarke sings the final note and the people watching all give them a round of applause. They both turn towards each other and let out a small laugh. “We make a pretty good duo,” Clarke whispers.

“We do, don’t we?” Lexa smiles.

After that, Lexa gives Clarke a tour around the rest of the house before they both return to the party. Clarke makes her way around the group of people, greeting those who she doesn’t know and catching up with those who she does. And Lexa goes to join Anya by the BBQ.

“That was some performance,” Anya says, flipping over some of the burger patties.

“Yeah…” Lexa whispers, watching as Clarke took Lucas from Lincoln. “She’s got a really nice voice.”

“You two make a good team.”

Lexa rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to her sister. Anya is smirking and Lexa can tell by the tone of her voice that her sister is suggesting something more. Not wanting to go down this conversation _again_ she goes back inside to see if her kids were hungry yet.

 

By 4pm, a lot of the guests have left. The kids were sprawled across the living room as they watched a movie and the adults were in smaller groups around the house. Lexa makes her way towards the kitchen after just having checked up on the kids. There she sees Clarke doing the dishes.

“Hey, you don’t have to do that.”

Clarke shakes her head but just continues. “It’s okay. It isn’t much.”

“Really, Clarke. You’re my guest.”

“It’s no problem. So how long have you been playing piano for?”

Lexa picks up on Clarke’s not so subtle change of topic so she leans against the kitchen counter top and stays to keep her company. “My parents got me into it from a pretty young age. What about you?”

“During high school,” Clarke replies. “Music was one of my subjects.”

“Really? Do you know how to play anything else?”

Clarke nods. “Guitar. What about you?”

“I know how to play the guitar too,” Lexa replies.

“I saw a video on Facebook of Mia playing, she’s good.”

“Yeah she is. She loves music.”

“And Aden?”

Lexa shakes her head. “Aden is much more into sports. I actually signed him up to the karate classes at the gym.”

“Bellamy and Octavia’s gym?” Lexa nods. “Ava is starting there too,” Clarke says. “She did dance last term but didn’t like it.” Clarke finishes the dishes and dries her hands.

“So school starts in two days…” Lexa trails off.

Clarke leans against the counter across from Lexa and nods. “Are Mia and Aden excited?”

“Excited and nervous.”

“That’s understandable. But the kids in year 2 are great and your kids will find their place quickly, I promise.”

Lexa smiles. “Thank you.”

“How’s everything going with your shop?” Clarke asks.

“Good, everything is on track. I just need to go in and do a few more things before we open on Monday.”

“What’s the name of the store?”

“The Grounds,” Lexa replies.

“Right,” Clarke nods. “Your parents’ farm is called _The West-Wood Grounds,_ yeah?”

Lexa nods. “How did you know?”

“I like them on Facebook,” Clarke smiles.

“Well it’s over on Reddington Street, next to the bakery if you ever need any flowers.”

Clarke smiles again. “I know exactly where that is.”

Silence falls between them and they both make a move as if they were going to say something, but then Raven and Octavia come by and cut into the conversation.

“Okay Lexa, we need you to settle this,” Raven says.

“Oh no, here we go,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa looks over to Clarke whose smiling and then back to Raven. “What am I settling?”

“The pineapple on pizza discourse,” Octavia replies.

Immediately Lexa shakes her head and starts to walk away. “I’m not getting involved in this conversation. I know from experience that it never ends well.” And before they can respond, she’s back outside and joining her parents and Lincoln.

 

* * *

 

As the night winds down further, everyone starts to slowly say their goodbyes. It’s been a wonderful day and night and Lexa is sure to thank everyone for coming and welcoming her with such open arms. Aden, Mia and herself stand at the door and wave as everyone makes their way to the car.

However, when Clarke is just about leave, Lexa tells her to wait. Without waiting for a response, Lexa jogs into her garage, picks out three lint rollers and returns to the front door. She hands them over to Clarke. “As promised,” she smiles.

Clarke laughs and accepts the rollers. “Three? Wow, are you sure you can part with so many?”

“I think I’ll manage,” Lexa replies. “Thank you for coming.”

“It was my pleasure,” Clarke responds. The two of them share another quick hug and part ways.

 

The rest of the night is easy going. Mia and Aden help clear up the final little things around the house and play a few board games before Lexa helps them get ready for bed.

Lexa leans down to kiss Mia on the forehead before bringing the bedsheets a little higher. “Did you have fun today?”

Mia nods excitedly, “Am I really going to Ava’s school?”

“Yeah, you are,” Lexa smiles. “You won’t be in the small class but I’m sure you guys can play together during lunch and recess.”

“And Clarke is going to be my teacher?”

Lexa nods. “Yes, but at school you need to call her Miss Griffin.”

Ava nods, “Oh yeah, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Lexa tucks a Mia’s hair behind her ears.

“Are you and Clarke best friends now?” Mia asks.

Lexa raises her eyebrow slightly. “What makes you say that?”

“Well… Ava is my best friend and she makes me laugh and smile and Clarke makes you laugh and smile a lot too.” Mia lets out a small yawn. “You should be best friends.”

Lexa chuckles slightly and her heart swells with so much love for her daughter. “Yes, Clarke and I are friends,” she replies. She kisses the top of Mia’s head once more, “Good night Monkey.”

“Night, mama.”

Lexa heads out of Mia’s room and then into Aden’s. Her son was currently pulling back his bedsheets and just about to hop into bed. “You have fun today?” she asks as she helps him in.

“I did,” Aden replies. “Auntie Raven showed me a cool magic trick today and promised to teach me next time.”

“Oh then you’re going to teach me, right?” Lexa asks playfully.

“Maybe…”

Lexa places her hand over her heart and gasp. Aden chuckles softly and jumps up from the bed to pull her into a hug. His arms wrap over Lexa’s shower and he hugs pretty tight. Again Lexa’s heart swells with so much love because her children are the best part of her life. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so im kind of just winging this fic as i go. i have an idea on where i want this to go but if you guys have any prompts or things you want to see, let me know :) 
> 
> thanks for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mia and aden start their new school, lexa gets involved with some school activities without really meaning to (but it's okay), raven likes to give nicknames and a birthday party

The weekend passes by relatively quickly and next thing they know, it’s Monday and time for Mia and Aden’s first day at their new school. It’s also the day the florist opens – but making sure her kids are okay is more important to Lexa. Thankfully, Anya has offered to oversee the opening with Maya, Harper and Monroe until she is able to come in.

School doesn’t start till 9am but both Mia and Aden are up at 7am, too excited for their first day of school. It’s definitely a good sign and it helps knowing that they would know a few people going into school already. Lexa gives them half an hour of TV time while she makes breakfast.

By 7:30am they’re all sitting around the table and having breakfast. Mia is almost jumping out of her seat as she talks about how excited she is to get back to school. Her daughter adapts to situations a lot easier and quicker than Aden. Aden is a little more reserved, quiet. At the moment he’s more excited to start karate classes than starting a new school.

“What do you want on your sandwiches?” Lexa asks as she starts to clear the dishes of the table.

“Nutella!” Mia replies.

Aden finishes his juice before answering. “PB&J, please.”

Lexa nods and puts the dishes into the sink. “Okay, go brush your teeth and change your clothes. If you finish getting ready, you might have some time to watch some more TV.”

Both Mia and Aden run off to get ready for school while Lexa starts on making their lunches. She pulls out their lunchboxes from the cupboard and their water bottles too. In each lunchbox she places a banana, a packet of chips and an LCM bar. She makes one Nutella sandwich and a PB&J one and places them into the lunchbox.

Once that’s done, Lexa makes her way to check up on Mia and Aden’s progress in getting ready. She catches Aden in the bathroom still brushing his teeth, so she heads towards Mia’s room.

“Mama, can you braid my hair?”

“Of course,” Lexa smiles. “Sit on the bed.” She grabs the hairbrush and a few hair ties off the wardrobe and goes to sit on the bed a well. Carefully, Lexa starts to brush her daughter’s hair. “Excited?”

“Yes!” Mia replies. “Rosie said that she catches the bus to school. Can we catch the bus too?”

“You want to?” Lexa asks. She knew that there’s a bus that passes by her house in the mornings and afternoons – but the school was on the way to work anyways so Lexa thought it would just be easier to take them every day.

Mia nods.

Lexa starts to braid Mia’s hair. “Okay, maybe next week then. I’ll talk to the school about getting you a bus pass.”

“Yay!”

A minute later, Mia’s hair is done and Lexa helps her into her school uniform. She goes to check on Aden but he’s already changed and putting on his socks. Lexa leans against the door way and watches as he brushes his hair.

Aden turns towards her. “Do I look okay?”

“You look great,” Lexa replies. “Excited for your first day?”

Aden nods but Lexa can tell that he’s a little nervous. She walks into the room and pulls him to sit on the bed next to her. “It’s okay to be a little scared,” she whispers. “You have Mia, Ava, Rosie and Ben. Clarke is also your teacher, you like her right?”

Aden nods again. “She’s nice.”

“She is. And I’m sure she’ll make sure your first day is a good one, okay?”

“Okay. Will you walk us into the school?”

Lexa wraps her arm around Aden’s shoulder and brings him into a side hug. “Of course. I’ll be right outside your classroom at the end of the day as well.”

“Okay.”

Lexa hugs Aden for a moment longer before letting go. “Are you all ready?”

Aden stands up from the bed and looks down to his feet then back up. “Yes.”

“Okay, you can watch some more TV if you want until we have to go.”

After that, Lexa goes and get ready herself. She freshens up, changes and grabs her bag before moving back to the front of the house. She double checks her kids’ bags to make sure didn’t forget anything and asks if they wanted anything in particular for their day.

By 8:30am, Mia and Aden are putting on their shoes and their heading into the car. The school isn’t too far away, but since it’s their first day Lexa wants to get their a little earlier to check the place out.

 

Mia and Aden both hold onto their mother’s hand as they walk into the school. The other kids run eagerly into the school, over taking them and parents are all in their little circles – presumably catching up on what they were up to during the holidays. Lexa walks into the school’s office first and lines up behind a few of the other people already in line for the counter.

Lexa steps up and is greeted by the man behind the desk. “Morning. How can I help?”

“Morning,” Lexa smiles. “My children, it’s their first day today.”

“Oh welcome!” he says towards the kids. “I’m Mr Black, but you can just call me Nyko.” He looks back up to Lexa, “Can I get your last name?”

“Woods.”

Nyko starts to type away at his computer. “If you don’t mind waiting just a moment… I just want to make sure that we have everything we need from you Mrs Woods.”

“It’s just Miss Woods,” Lexa corrects. “Or _Lexa_ is fine.”

“Sorry,” he smiles. “Everything seems to be in order… I can show you to Mia and Aden’s classroom, if you like.”

“That would be great,” Lexa replies. And just at that moment, an older man steps towards the counter and places his hand on Nyko’s shoulder.

“It’s okay Nyko, I can show them,” he says.

Nyko nods and turns back towards Mia and Aden. “This is Mr Griffin, our school principal.”

Mr Griffin steps around the counter and smiles. “You must be Mia and Aden.”

“Griffin?” Lexa asks.

He nods and offers his hand. “Jake Griffin, Clarke is my daughter. She told me a little bit about you and your kids yesterday. Since we have some time before the bell rings, I can give you a tour of the school if you like?”

“That would be great,” Lexa replies.

So Jake guides them out of the office and starts the tour of the school. They walk past the library and he gives them a quick rundown on what library entails for the students. The main courtyard is filled with kids running around and catching up with friends. Jakes tells them that school assembly is every Thursday from 2pm and parents are welcome to watch every week. Friday mornings are also dedicated to sports for the entire school and he shows them where the school canteen is.

The school isn’t as big as the one back in Polis. And just by the quick tour she can tell that it certainly has a different pace and atmosphere as well. In the city, everything feels a lot more rushed and fast paced but here – here it feels easy going and relaxed. It feels like everyone knows everyone and there’s a sense of unity amongst the kids, parents and teachers.

Jake walks them past the playground and a few more of the classrooms. Rosie, Ben and Ava all pop over to say good morning and they also run into Lincoln. The tour ends with Jake taking them to the Year 2 classroom. Jake knocks on the door and from inside you could hear Clarke call out, “Come in!”

Lexa steps into the room with Mia and Aden and she immediately steals a quick glance around the room. There is an array of tables, bookshelves that run along the back wall, a smart board at the front of the class and the entire room is covered in different paintings and drawings.

“Oh hey,” Clarke smiles, stepping around the desk. “Welcome to my classroom.”

“I was just showing them around the school,” Jake says.

Clarke looks down to Mia and Aden, “Like what you see so far?” she asks.

Mia nods enthusiastically. “The playground is _so_ big!”

Clarke lets out a small laugh and nods. “It sure is. And you’ll have plenty of time at recess and lunch to play on it.”

Jake looks towards Lexa, “I should get back to the office. If you have any questions just let us know and we’ll be more than happy to help.” He looks to Mia and Aden, “Have a good first day. I will see you around the school.”

“Thanks Mr Griffin,” Lexa smiles.

“So…” Clarke trails off. She walks around the room until she’s standing at one of the desks, “Mia you’ll be sitting here,” and she continues to another table, “And Aden you’ll be here.”

“Miss Griffin?” Mia asks.

“Oh you can just call me Miss Clarke. Since my dad works here too, it’s just easier,” Clarke smiles. “But yes? Do you have a question?”

Mia pauses for a moment. “Oh… I forgot.”

“That’s okay. If you remember just let me know.” Clarke looks back to Lexa, “The bell is going to ring any moment, but if you have any questions or concerns you can come by after school and I’ll be happy to answer them. I sent home a note last term on what we’re working on this term, so I can give that to you as well.”

“This afternoon?” Lexa asks.

Clarke nods. “Or any, really. Just not Thursday because we usually have a staff meeting after school.”

“No, this afternoon should be fine. Thank you.” The bell then rings through the school and the scurry of kids outside can be heard almost instantly. Lexa kneels down and brings both Mia and Aden in for a hug. “Love you guys,” she whispers.

“Love you too, mama,” they both whisper back.

They step out of the class room and Mia and Aden both hook their bags onto the wall outside. Lexa stands by as she watches the kids hook their bags onto the wall and line up in two straight lines. Mia and Aden stand idly by at the front next to Clarke, looking a little nervous but ready nonetheless.

Lexa leaves once Clarke is letting the kids walk into the classroom. She takes her time walking out of the school. Various walls were decorated with pictures and news, and the gardens were filled with seasonal flowers. And just outside of the school she bumps into Bellamy.

“Hey Lexa,” he greets. “How’s Mia and Aden?”

“They’re good. A little excited and a little nervous, but that’s normal right?”

Bellamy chuckles softly. “Yeah, perfectly normal. You have nothing to be worried about, Clarke will make sure they settle into the class okay.”

Lexa nods with a small smile. “Off to work?”

“Yep.” The both continue to walk towards their cars, making small talk about their day ahead. He asks about the store and wishes her luck on the opening day, promising to come by when he gets the chance. They reach Bellamy’s car first but before he gets in he says, “So I’m throwing Rosie and Ben a birthday party this Saturday and wanted to invite you, Mia and Aden. I’ll make an event later and invite you, but just wanted to let you know.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

Bellamy opens his car door and sits in the driver’s seat. “Alright, have a good day.”

“You too,” Lexa replies. Once Bellamy closes the door, she continues towards her own car.

 

Once she’s at her store, she’s glad to see that everything seems to be running smoothly. Lexa walks in and is greeted by exactly what she’s been picturing since she started this journey. A wide variety of flowers from her parent’s farm were delivered just the day before and they were looking as fresh as ever. The natural light in the store is absolutely perfect and the smell, oh the smell sends her right back to her childhood.

Over the past couple of days, Lexa has been in the store with Maya, Harper and Monroe. She’s been going over how the store is going to run. Everything from processing sales, online orders, making bouquets, the logistics of everything else has been talked about.

Lexa walks up to the counter and greets Maya and Anya quickly before running off into the back room. She puts her bag down in the office, ties her hair into a pony tail and steps back out into the main area. “Thanks for coming by,” she says to her sister.

“Not a problem. You’ve hired a good lot, just FYI,” Anya replies. “How were the kids this morning?”

“Couldn’t have gone better.”

“Alright, I have to go.” Anya grabs her from under the counter.

Lexa nods. “Thanks again.”

“Bye.”

 

The morning carries on smoothly. There’s a steady rate of customers who come and check out the store and Harper gets to work with taking photos so that they can get their website up and running. It’s everything that Lexa imagined it would be and so much more since it’s now a reality.

When it’s quiet in the store, Lexa gets to know Maya and Harper a little more as well. Monroe is also employed; however, she isn’t scheduled to work today. Maya is taking a gap year so she can focus on writing her first novel. And Harper is studying IT part time at the university. She also shares a little about herself, her life back in Polis and tells them all about Mia and Aden.

 

* * *

 

As the lunch bell rings, Clarke watches the kids in her class all head outside for grab their lunchboxes. She keeps an eye out for Mia and Aden, making sure that they were settling into the class okay – and fortunately, they seem to be. The other kids welcome the twins with open arms and wide smiles which is something Clarke absolutely loves about being a teacher. Her students are so young and full of wonderment and joy and it’s infectious.

When it’s time for lunch, the junior years stay close to the class room to eat before they’re allowed to go off and play. Clarke finds Mia and Aden taking a seat at one of the metal picnic tables and walks over. “Can I sit with you?” she asks.

“Of course,” Aden smiles.

Mia opens her lunch box, “Where’s your lunch, Miss Clarke?”

“I eat a little later when you’re playing,” Clarke replies. “So what do you have for lunch today?”

“Nutella!”

“Ava loves Nutella too,” Clarke says. She watches as Mia takes out her sandwich from her lunchbox and then passes it over to Aden. A little confused, she doesn’t say anything yet before realising what the younger child is doing.

“Mama gave me your sandwich,” Mia says to Aden.

“Again?” Aden laughs. He takes the sandwich and passes the one in his box to his sister. “I like PB&J and Mia likes Nutella,” he explains to Clarke. “And mama sometimes puts our sandwiches into the wrong box.”

“Ah, I see,” Clarke nods. Just at that moment Ava comes up to the table and gives her a quick hug. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Mr Hollows said it was okay to come sit with you,” Ava replies.

Clarke looks over her daughter’s shoulder and sees Lincoln waving. She waves back and moves over so that Ava can join the table. Ava immediately talks about what they should do once they finish eating – with Aden and Mia simply nodding and agreeing in response. She doesn’t linger for much longer, excusing herself from the table to check on her other kids.

She walks around her little area, reminding the students to pick up their rubbish and put away their things before going off the play. She loves this job. Teaching, being surrounded by kids every day and being a part of their lives – having the ability to shape their futures is something that she will cherish forever.

 

When the final bell of the day rings, Clarke steps out of the class to watch her students grab their bags. Some of the parents wait just outside of the classroom, some siblings wait as well. She makes small talk with a few of them before she spots Lexa amongst the crowd. There this unexplainable flutter in her heart as she sees Mia and Aden run up to their mum screaming and yelling about their first day at school.

Ava also comes by at the same time. This was the usual for them, her daughter coming by after the bell has rung since her classroom is just the next one over. “Hey,” Clarke smiles. “How was your day?”

“Good! I borrowed a new library book today. Can we read it tonight?”

Clarke nods. “Of course. Why don’t you head inside for a bit? I have to talk to Mia and Aden’s mum and then we can go home.”

“Mama,” Ava says.

“Hm?”

“Lexa is Aden and Mia’s mama,” Ava explains “Their _mum_ isn’t here anymore.”

Clarke nods but before she can get a chance to respond, Lexa, Mia and Aden are joining their conversation. “Hey, Lexa.”

“Hi,” Lexa greets. She’s got one hand behind her back and turns her attention back to Ava. “Hey Ava, how was school?”

“Good,” Ava smiles. “What do you have behind your back?”

Lexa whips her hand around, showing a small bouquet of red baby breath flowers. “Remember when I said I’d get you some red flowers once my store was open?” She hands over the bouquet to Ava, “Well these are for you.”

Ava’s gasps with excitement as she takes the flowers. “These are so nice!”

Clarke nudges her daughter slightly.

Ava thanks Lexa and hugs the woman a second later. Lexa simply chuckles and grins. “You’re welcome,” she says.

After that, they all head into the classroom. Mia, Aden and Ava take a seat at the table as Clarke gives them some spare paper and pencils to occupy themselves. She and Lexa then sit across from each other at her desk.

“You didn’t have to get Ava flowers,” Clarke says.

Lexa smiles. “No, I wanted to. She’s a sweet kid.”

Clarke nods. “Mia and Aden are too, they had a good day from what I saw.”

“Yeah, they were just telling about how much they loved your class.”

Clarke can’t help but grin and they both look over to the table where the kids are all drawing. They continue on their conversation and Clarke tells her about what’s ahead for the term and what topics will be covered. She explains everything from homework, readings, library days and other school formalities that Lexa can expect from here on out.

Throughout the entire conversation Clarke finds herself talking to Lexa they’ve been friends their whole lives. At least for her, there’s this bond she feels with the other woman. Maybe it is because they’re both single mums – but maybe it’s also her missing having _that_ type of connection with someone.

They talk for a good twenty minutes, with Clarke ending it by letting Lexa know about the excursion Year 1 and 2 will be taking in the following week. She gives Lexa a permission note and says the office is probably closing now, but she can make the payment tomorrow and it would be all fine.

 

* * *

 

Lexa leaves the school with her kids and a smile on her face. It’s so good to hear that both Mia and Aden had a good day and it just reassures her kids are going to settle in just fine. Since Aden had his first karate class today, she’s going to drop him off at the gym and then go back to the florist with Mia while he’s in class.

She kneels down to Aden’s level and kisses her forehead. “Have fun. I’ll be back before class is over and then we can head home.”

Aden nods and says his goodbyes before running off to join the other kids in the same class.

“He’ll be fine,” Bellamy smiles.

Lexa nods. “Thanks Bellamy. I’ll see you after class.” Just as she’s about to leave with Mia, two familiar faces also enter the room. “Clarke, Ava, hi.”

“Hey,” Clarke greets.

“Are you doing karate as well, Mia?” Ava asks.

Mia shakes her head. “I like playing the piano.”

“You can play the piano?!”

“I can.”

“Can you play something for me next time I come over?”

Lexa and Clarke chuckle lightly as they listen to their daughters fall into a light conversation. When they both catch each other’s gaze, the smile on their faces only grows wider. And for Lexa, she falls right into the deep blue eyes before her. She isn’t blind, Clarke is absolutely beautiful and those blue eyes are just drawing her in so strongly.

“So if you’re not doing anything would you like to grab some coffee?” Clarke asks.

The question catches Lexa off guard, to be honest.

“But if you have somewhere to be, it’s okay,” Clarke adds. “I just figured you if you weren’t heading home yet…”

“I was going to head back to my florist and help close up,” Lexa replies.

“Right,” Clarke breathes. “Sorry.”

“No, you don’t need to apologise. And you’re more than welcome to come with if you want.”

“Really?”

Lexa nods. “It’s like a ten-minute walk from here.”

“Yeah, I’d love to.”

So Lexa and Mia watch as Clarke drops off Ava with the rest of the class, before they start to walk towards the florist. The conversation is light, with Clarke providing little bits and pieces of information about the city. She talks about the oldest store on the main strip, the various major events that have occurred throughout the years and most importantly, she tells them her favourite restaurants.

 

* * *

 

Clarke spots the florist just across the street. They’re waiting at the traffic light and Mia stands in between her and Lexa. As the pedestrian light turns green, she steps onto the road but then feels Mia latch on to hand. Clarke looks down and smiles as Mia doesn’t look up or say anything.

“She likes to hold two hands when crossing the road,” Lexa explains.

Clarke simply nods in response and gives a slightly reassuring squeeze of Mia’s hand. When they make it to the other side, she gets a better look at the store. The door is in the centre of two large windows that showcase beautiful arrangements of flowers inside. The store sign is also very appealing, the name “THE GROUNDS” written in big block writing across a wooden board.

When they enter the store, the first thing that hits her is the smell. The mix of fragrances somehow blends all so well together to give the entire store a sweet yet refreshing atmosphere. And the overall aesthetic of the place is on point. It is spacious and there are buckets and buckets of flowers set up around the store. In the corner by the counter there’s two tables with various little things that she just assumes is where the bouquets are made.

She follows Lexa up to the counter and gives the two women there a small smile.

“Clarke, this Maya and Harper,” Lexa says.

Clarke shakes both their hands. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“And Maya, Harper this is Clarke.”

“Hello,” they both say.

Clarke turns back around to get another good look at the store. “This place is beautiful, Lexa.”

“Thanks, Clarke.”

“Miss Clarke!” Mia squeals, “Can I show you my favourite flowers here?”

“Of course you can.” She lets Mia take her hand as they wander through the store. Clarke loves flowers, but she doesn’t know a lot about them. She can’t name much or than your well known flowers or tell you the meaning behind them. All she knows is that they’re really fucking beautiful and they make her ridiculously happy.

Mia guides them back towards the front of the store and points out a few of the flowers. She tries to sound out the name on the signs, and Clarke helps her. Some of them she gets, some of them she doesn’t – and it is the most adorable thing. Mia goes on about how she loves to run through the flower fields on her grandparents’ farm and says that it’s probably the best thing in the world. Clarke doesn’t dispute it at all (not just because she’s talking to a child but because she loves the idea of living on a farm; the quiet, the peace, the open and the calmness are all things that appeal to her).

During her and Mia’s little stroll through the store she catches Lexa’s gaze a couple of times. The first time it happens, Lexa mouths “I’m sorry” with a small smile which causes her to laugh. Clarke sends a quick wink and lets her know that it’s fine. The second time it happens, Lexa is actually the one to catch her starring. The other woman grins before going back to talking with Maya and Harper.

Mia tugs at her arm, “So what is your favourite flower, Miss Clarke?”

“Daises,” she smiles. “They were my grandma’s favourite.”

“I will be right back. Stay right here,” Mia instructs.

Clarke nods and watches as Mia runs towards her mum. She pulls Lexa down to her level and whispers something into her ear for a few moments. Lexa seems to agree to whatever Mia says and Mia is then running back towards her.

“What did you say to your mum?” Clarke asks.

“Mama,” Mia corrects. “ _Mum_ isn’t here anymore.”

Clarke looks up to see Lexa walking towards them. Lexa hands over her phone to Mia, “Monkey, grandma and grandpa want to talk to you.”

Mia excitedly takes the phone and runs off the sit behind the counter where there’s a spare seat.

“Costia was _mum,”_ Lexa explains. “I’m mama.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to–”

Lexa shakes her head. “It’s okay,” she reassures.

Clarke follows Lexa around the store as she starts to pick up a few flowers. “How was the first day?”

“Really good,” Lexa replies. “Steady customers and our website is live and online orders have already started to roll through.”

“That’s really good to hear.” Clarke smiles as they walk back towards the counter. She watches as Lexa places the flowers over some tissue paper and rearranging them neatly. There’s a few daisies and a couple of branches of baby breath flowers. It’s a simple but elegant bouquet in her books.

Lexa wraps a final layer of brown paper around the bouquet and finishes it off with a white ribbon.

“That’s beautiful,” Clarke compliments. What surprises her though is that Lexa is then handing the bouquet to her. “Oh no, Lexa I can’t–”

Lexa doesn’t drop the flowers. “You can. Mia will be upset if you don’t accept it.”

“That’s what she whispered to you?”

Lexa nods. “She asked if I could give you some daises.”

Clarke takes the flowers and brings them to her nose. “At least let me pay for them.”

“Not a chance,” Lexa grins. “Think of it as a… _thank you._ ”

“For?”

“Helping Mia and Aden settle into school.”

“It’s my job, Lexa.”

“Oh I know. But still, thank you.”

Clarke admits defeat and smells the bouquet again. “You’ve just won over the Griffins with two bouquets in one day.” Lexa laughs and Clarke is sure she sees the woman blush a little. That definitely gives her some butterflies because in this moment, she thinks that maybe, the feelings aren’t just one sided.

“Can I ask you something?” Lexa asks.

“Of course.”

“I’m assuming you’re going to Rosie and Ben’s birthday at the end of the week?”

Clarke nods. “I am. Are you?”

“Yeah, but any advice on what they like? I don’t really know them but I want to make sure I get gifts they’ll actually like.”

“Ah yes.” Clarke pauses for a moment and thinks about it. She’s known Rosie and Ben their entire lives, she’s basically an aunt to the twins. Bellamy and Octavia have been in her life for as long as she can remember and they’ve definitely just become part of her extended family. “Rosie is really into comics… Marvel, DC, she’ll read them all. And Ben is really creative; I think he’s really into painting at the moment but any art supply will definitely make him happy.”

Lexa nods. “I can definitely work with that, thank you.”

“It’s not a problem at all.” Clarke smiles.

The rest of the hour is Clarke really just sitting around and talking to Mia, Lexa, Maya and Harper. She really couldn’t do anything until Ava’s done with karate class so she enjoys the free time she has with these people. Lexa, Maya and Harper all start their closing procedures ten minutes before it’s 5pm. Clarke offers a hand, but Lexa reassures her that’s it’s fine.

 

* * *

 

By 5:30pm, they’re back at the gym as the karate class wraps up their first lesson of the term. Immediately, Aden runs up to Lexa and recounts the class he just had without taking a breath. Lexa can’t help but laugh, and tells him to slow down a little before he loses his breath. In her peripheral she can see Ava up in Clarke’s arms and presumably doing the same, judging by the smile on the little girl’s face.

It’s an absolutely heart-warming feeling. The hour or so she just spent with Clarke in the florist was unexpected but good. It’s so nice that she’s able to be _this_ comfortable around a fairly new friend. But what gets to her is that she’s treading into the idea that what she’s feeling for Clarke is a little more than just friendship.

They head their separate ways after that, with Clarke and Ava both thanking Lexa for the flowers again. It is the middle of peak hour so it takes them a little longer to get home. But once they do, Lexa gets to work on making dinner while Aden and Mia set to working on their homework on the dinner table.

Lexa believes that keeping a routine is important. Since year 1, it’s always been that after school the kids do their homework and their readings before dinner. Then they get some free time afterwards to watch TV or play games before showering and calling it a night. Obviously there is always a few exceptions with after school activities or just work in general, but that is the general gist of things.

 

* * *

 

The following morning doesn’t go as smooth as the first. It’s a rare occasion when Lexa sleeps through her alarm, and it just so happens to happen today. So she isn’t up till about 8:15am and she’s scrambling to get Mia and Aden out of bed.

It’s a hurried mess as she sets to multi-tasking her way through the morning. Mia and Aden are at the dining table having their breakfast as Lexa packs their lunchboxes. Once she sees that Aden finishes his cereal, she gets him up and out of the seat to freshen up and change. Mia is also done about five minutes later as Lexa is putting away the lunchboxes in their bags.

By 8:45am, Mia and Aden are sitting by the front door and slipping on their shoes.

“Mama, don’t forget the note!” Aden calls out.

Lexa runs to the fridge and pulls the note off the fridge. She’s cutting it close with making it to the school on time so she quickly scrambles to fill it in and gets herself and the kids into the car.

They make it to the school with a couple of minutes to spare. Lexa walks in with them considering that she needs to drop off the payment for the excursion as well.

“Bye Monkey,” she smiles as she hugs Mia. She then pulls Aden into a quick hug as well, “Have a good day.”

“Bye mama!” they both say back.

Just as she makes her way towards the office, she runs into Clarke. “Hi,” she greets.

“Lexa, hey. How are you?”

“I’m good. Just heading into the office to pay for the excursion.”

Clarke smiles. “I have to…” she motions her head towards her classroom.

“Oh yeah, of course.” Lexa smiles back. “Have a good day.”

“You too, Lexa. I’ll see you at the end of the day?”

Lexa nods. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

They part ways after that and Lexa can’t wipe the grin off her face. Despite the rushed morning, they made it to school on time and her brief run in with Clarke has somehow just set her mood for the entire day.

She gets to her store and sets to work with Maya and Monroe. It’s a good day in the store. She teaches Monroe and Maya a few new bouquet wrapping techniques and a little bit about the history of her parent’s flower farm.

 

* * *

 

The following day Lexa is at lunch with Anya, just across from the florist. They sit outside the café, sipping their coffee as they wait for their meal to come to them.

“How is everything?” Anya asks.

“Really good,” Lexa replies. “Mia and Aden love the school and the florist is doing well, given that it’s only been a couple of days.”

“How was karate for Aden?”

Lexa grins, remembering that afternoon very clearly. She’s seen Clarke every day, even if it was just briefly at school and the two of them have messaged each other a few times as well.

“Lexa Woods, I know that smile!” Anya gleams.

Lexa snaps out of her haze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She stops for a moment as the waitress brings over their food.

“Right…” Anya raises her eyebrow, unconvinced. “So karate?”

“Aden loves it.”

“That’s good.”

“How’s work?”

Anya brings her coffee to her lips, “Ah you know, the usual. I just got a call this morning and Becca wants to do a photoshoot with a couple of my wedding dresses,” she says casually.

Lexa almost drops her cup on to the table. “WHAT?! _The_ Becca?!” Becca is one of the most prestigious wedding photographers in the country and to have her photograph Anya’s line of dresses is a once in a lifetime opportunity, even she knew that.

Anya nods. “Yep, she’s going to be in the city in a couple of weeks.”

“Congratulations, Anya.” Lexa is just about to pick up her fork again when her phone starts to ring. It’s the school and her breath hitches. She picks up without another thought.

“Hello?” she greets.

“ _Hi, Lexa? It’s Clarke.”_

“Are Mia and Aden okay?”

“ _Oh yes. Sorry, they’re fine. Sorry if this call startled you.”_

Lexa sighs with relief and mouths, “They’re fine,” to Anya who was giving her a questioning look. “Hi, Clarke, sorry. Is everything okay?”

“ _Yeah, I’m just calling to confirm that you can still chaperone the excursion next week?”_

“Chaperone?” Lexa asks. She’s is beyond confused at this point because this is the first time she’s hearing anything about this.

“ _You ticked the box on the permission slip that you were available?”_

And Lexa remembers now, well not really but she remembers rushing to sign the permission slip without really reading it. “Oh,” she whispers.

“ _But if you’re not available it’s okay. I’m just calling the volunteers.”_

“Oh no, it’s okay, I can do it,” Lexa finds herself replying. She doesn’t really know why she’s agreeing to being a chaperone because she was definitely meant to be working that day, but she can’t take it back now.

“ _Are you sure?”_

Lexa nods. “I am. Is there anything I need to do beforehand?”

“ _Yes actually, that’s part of the reason for the call. Since you are a first time chaperone, we will need a police check from you. It’s part of the school's policy.”_

“I can get right on that,” Lexa replies. “How many other chaperones will there be?”

“ _Four. The excursion is just for year 1 and 2. So two parents from each class will be coming along.”_

“Okay, that sounds great.”

“ _That’s all, really. If you can just bring in the police check before Wednesday, that would be great. And if you have any other questions or concerns, just let me know.”_

“I will. Thank you.”

_“Thank you for volunteering, Lexa. I’ll talk to you soon.”_

“Bye.” Lexa hangs up the call and drops her head into her hands.

“Is everything okay?” Anya asks.

Lexa sighs softly. “I accidently volunteered to chaperone the kids’ excursion next week.”

“How do you _accidently_ do that?” Anya laughs.

“We were in a rush the other morning and I must have, by accident, ticked the box to say that I was available to chaperone.”

“Who was one the phone?”

“Clarke,” Lexa answers.

Anya grins. “Can’t say no to the cute teacher now, can we?”

“Anya,” Lexa warns. “Don’t.”

“I’m just saying, you obviously like her.”

Lexa rolls her eyes and continues with her lunch. “I need to get a police check,” she says, trying to move the conversation along.

“You should do that today if you can. They always take a couple of days to get.” Anya pauses and takes another bite into her lunch. “Can’t believe you’re volunteering to be around kids for a WHOLE day.”

Lexa laughs. “You love kids.”

“I love _your_ kids,” Anya corrects in a playful tone.

“It’ll be good, I think. Costia was always the one to do the school-volunteering things back in Polis.” Lexa smiles softly, to herself mostly.

“And you’ll get to spend the day with Clarke,” Anya teases.

“You are insufferable.”

Anya sends a quick wink to her sister and they continue on with their lunch. It’s not long before they are saying their goodbyes and go their separate ways back to work. And the rest of the afternoon goes by fairly quickly. Given that Maya and Monroe were more than capable of handling the store, Lexa leaves just a little earlier to stop by the police station before picking up the kids.

 

* * *

 

“Mama! DO I NEED A JACKET?” Mia calls out.

“Bring one just in case!” Lexa replies. “You too, Aden!”

“Okay!”

Lexa sits at the dining room table and finishes tying the bow on Rosie and Ben’s birthday gifts. It’s Saturday and she’s just about to head over the Bellamy’s place for the birthday party he’s throwing for his twins. Just the day before Lexa went out during her lunch break to buy the gifs. For Rosie, Lexa brought a new comic book series called “Grounders” thinking and hoping that she hasn’t gotten them yet. And for Ben she bought an array of new brushes and paints.

“You guys look great,” Lexa says as her kids enter the room.

“Can we go yet?” Aden asks.

Lexa nods. “Let me change and we can head out.”

Within ten minutes, Lexa is helping Mia and Aden into the car. Bellamy’s place is about 20 minutes away and he lives pretty close to Anya so she’s got a good idea on how to get there. She doesn’t know _much_ about Bellamy, only really through Lincoln and Octavia but she likes him. He has been nothing but sweet and kind since she’s met him and being a single dad himself, they definitely found some common ground in building up their relationship.

When they get to Bellamy’s place, Lexa parks across the street and a house down. Mia holds Rosie’s gift while Aden holds Ben’s and they cross the road. Instead of walking up to the front door, she sees the back door open which presumably leads out to the backyard. When they step through the into the yard, the rustling of people and the screams of little kids become very evident.

“Lexa! You’re here!” Bellamy greets.

“Hey.”

Bellamy calls over Rosie and Ben to say their hellos and Mia and Aden are off to join the rest of the kids.

“The food will be ready in about 5 minutes,” he says. “The girls are inside if you wanted to go see them.”

“Thanks,” Lexa smiles. She walks through the backyard and stops to make quick chat with Lincoln who introduces her to some of the other people at the party; Monty, Murphy and Luna. As she continues through the party she notices a few familiar faces of kids from the primary school and a couple of the parents. Since Rosie and Ben were in an older year than her own kids, she didn’t really know any of them – but she nods a quick ‘hello’ to everyone and makes her way inside the house.

“ _Lexa! In here!”_

Lexa peeps her head around the corner and walks into the living room to see Raven, Octavia, Lucas, Clarke and Anya all sitting around.

“Hey guys,” she smiles.

The women all say their hellos, with the added bonus of Octavia making Lucas wave too. Lexa grins and makes her way towards Octavia, to pick up Lucas.

“Mia and Aden?” Anya asks.

Lexa kisses Lucas’ cheek and hums softly. “They’re outside on the jumping castle.”

When she sees Clarke scoot over slightly, Lexa ends up taking a seat in between her and Raven. She places Lucas on her lap, facing out.

“How are the flowers?” Raven asks.

“They’re great,” Lexa laughs. “It’s going really well. Just signed some new contracts with some event planners so that’s definitely going to be good.”

“Congrats,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa smiles. “Thank you.”

“So…” Raven says. “We were just talking about the one time Clarke, Octavia and myself went to a lake house for a weekend.”

Clarke shakes her head, “Oh I don’t think Lexa wants to hear this story.”

Lexa laughs and looks between Clarke and Raven, who are currently trying to stare each other down. “Oh you have to tell me now.”

Clarke shakes her head again, “Noooo,” she coos.

But before she can argue back, Bellamy comes through and calls everyone outside to eat.

Octavia is the first to get off the couch, scrambling around as if she’s looking for something. “Lucas, where did your shoes go?”

Raven laughs and leans over to poke Lucas very softly. “You don’t even know how to walk yet, Grapefruit, how do you always lose your shoes?” she teases.

Lexa raises her eyebrow, “Grapefruit?”

Both Octavia and Clarke roll their eyes. “Raven likes to give our kids food nicknames,” Clarke explains. “Don’t be surprised if Mia and Aden get one soon.”

Raven grins, “Oh they’re definitely getting one. Just got to find the _right_ one.” She turns to Lexa, “Anything you _don’t_ want me to name them?”

Lexa shakes her head. “Go wild.”

 

So lunch is served for everyone. The kids have a couple of tables to themselves with more than enough food between them. After Lexa makes sure that Mia and Aden are eating, she finds herself sitting next to Anya and across from Clarke. She keeps quiet for most of the meal, enjoying the banter and conversations that occurs between everyone else.

There are a few times where she catches Clarke’s stare, and they both kind of just smile and continue on with their lunch. Lexa also gets to know a few of the other people on the table as well, sharing her own story on her move to Arkadia. It’s not a surprise that everyone is pretty warm and welcoming.

After lunch, Bellamy sets up a few games for the kids to play. There’s tug-a-war, a ring toss, a balloon popping game and most important, a piñata. Most of the adults watch and cheer on the kids, and Lexa does exactly the same. She is beaming as she watches Mia and Aden comfortably get along with the older kids.

After the games, the birthday cakes are brought out and everyone gathers around to sing happy birthday to Rosie and Ben. When Lexa sees Mia and Ava taking a seat with their cake, she makes her way over to the table as well. She sits across from them and smiles. “How’s the cake, girls?”

“It’s really good,” Ava grins.

Mia digs her fork into her piece and moves around the table so that she’s standing in front of Lexa. “Try it,” she says as she lifts the fork to her mother’s lips.

Lexa takes the bite and hums in response. “That is good.”

“Chocolate is always good,” Mia replies as she sits back down. “Rosie said they’re going to watch a movie later. Can we stay for that?”

Lexa nods. “Yeah, of course.”

Raven then joins the name. “Hey Cheesecake.”

“Hello Auntie Raven,” Ava replies before digging into her cake again.

Raven then turns to Mia, “So you need a nickname.”

“I do?” Mia asks.

Raven nods. “You do... See, Mia is Cheesecake. Lucas is Grapefruit. Rosie is Apple Sauce and Ben is Pretzel.”

“What about Aden?” Mia asks.

“Haven’t got a name for your brother yet… but by the end of the night I will.” Raven taps at her chin. “What do you think of… Peanut butter cup?”

Lexa shakes her head, “Too long.”

Raven takes another moment. “Mozzarella?”

“Nope,” Ava replies before taking another bite of her cake.

“Tomato?”

Mia quickly shakes her head. “I don’t like tomatoes.”

“Mushroom?” _No._

“Chicken schnitzel?” _No._

“Jasmine tea?” _No._

“Lime?” _No._

“Crab cake?” _No._

“Squid?”

Mia perks her head up.

“Squid?” Raven suggests again. Mia nods excitedly. “Squid it is then.”

“Why the food nicknames?” Lexa asks.

Raven shrugs slightly. “Just started off as a joke then I drunkenly called Ava a cheesecake one night. And it kind of just stuck.”

“Mama, whats…. _Drunk-en-ly?_ ” Mia asks.

Lexa turns back to her daughter, “Nothing you need to be concerned about for a while,” she replies.

“Don’t worry, Squid, when you’re old enough I’ll make sure you get it.” Raven sends a playful wink which earns a slight swat from Lexa. “Hey!”

“Do I need to keep you away from my daughter?” Lexa teases.

“You know I’m just kidding,” Raven laughs. “We’ll be way too old by the time the little ones are old enough to drink.”

“Oh don’t remind me.”

 

By 5pm the party starts to wind down. Lexa helps clear the backyard as Bellamy puts a movie on for the remaining kids. It’s only Mia, Aden, Ava, Rosie, Ben and two of the Blake’s cousins – Jenny and Jeremy.

It doesn’t take them too long to have everything cleared away. Soon enough Lexa is walking back inside with Raven and Lincoln, joining everyone else who are all standing around in the kitchen.

“Thanks for cleaning, guys,” Bellamy says. “We were just talking about getting some pizza for dinner?”

“HAWAIIAN!” Raven calls out.

Half the room groans and the other half cheers. And then everyone laughs as the kids call out to be quiet because they can’t hear the movie.

“I’ll go pick them up,” Clarke offers.

“Would you like some company?” Lexa asks (without really thinking).

Clarke nods. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

It takes them another ten minutes to decide on what pizzas to get and how much before Lexa finds herself hopping into the passenger side of Clarke’s car.

Clarke throws a couple of jackets and shoes into the back seat. “Sorry for the mess. Ava she–”

“It’s fine,” Lexa interrupts. “I have twins, remember? No judgement here.”

Clarke smiles in response and they start to drive off. During the ride, they talk about little, mindless things. Lexa’s never really been into small talk, but with Clarke it’s different. She finds herself wanting to ask about everything and anything. The conversation between them just flows, and Clarke’s voice just continues to echo in her mind even after they’ve come to a moment of silence.

They come to a stop at the pizza store. It’s fairly busy but that’s not a surprise given that it is a Saturday night. Lexa and Clarke stand in line, but when they reach the counter the employee tells them that there’s a slight back log and their pizzas won’t be done for another ten minutes.

“What now?” Lexa asks as they step out of the store.

“We just wait. There’s a couple of benches around the corner, we can go sit there for now?”

Lexa nods and follows Clarke. The area they’re in is like a small marketplace. There’s a grocery store, a pharmacy, a post-office, a few other offices and a few fast food restaurants. When they get to the benches, there is no one around and the two women take a seat next to each other.

“Question…” Clarke whispers. “Can you tell me what the secret is you have between Ava, Mia and Aden?”

Lexa laughs. “It’s killing you not knowing, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Clarke admits.

“Sorry, Clarke. No can do.”

“What? Come on Lexaaaaaaa. Every time I bring it up with Ava she just burst into a fit of giggles and runs off.”

Lexa shakes her head, “I don’t know. I don’t think you’re cool enough to know the secret.”

“You’re a child, you know that?” Clarke jokes.

“You’re only saying that because you want to know the secret.”

Clarke sighs. “Yeah…”

A momentary silence falls between them again. And like an automatic reaction, Lexa leans back in her chair and looks up to the night sky. Just looking at the stars has always been something she loves doing. It was something that she loved doing with Costia and her kids, so it also brings back good and happy memories. It was always a little hard to stargaze in Polis because of the city lights and overall pollution of the city, but when they went and visited her parents’ farm it was an amazing experience.

“When I was younger, I thought the stars were lights from other planets,” Clarke whispers. “And how they sparkle, I thought that they were trying to send a message to everyone.”

Lexa looks over to see Clarke looking up at the sky as well. “Really?”

Clarke hums in response. “I use to look into the telescope all night and just watch them sparkle, totally thinking that the stars were having a conversation between each other.”

“That’s cute.”

“Do you like stargazing?” Clarke asks.

Lexa nods. “You couldn’t really see the stars back in Polis.”

“You can’t really see them now.”

“True,” Lexa says. “But they’re a lot clearer here. The best place for stargazing would be out on my parents’ farm. Whenever we visit, stargazing is always on the agenda.”

“It must be really nice out there.”

Lexa nods again because it is. Out on the farm, it was always peaceful and quiet and that just kind of heighten the whole experience. The stars somehow seemed to be closer and clearer, and the still of the night always provides a calm and relaxed atmosphere to be in.

They sit in silence for a while and Lexa’s mind starts to wander off to the woman beside her. Clarke’s presence picks up a couple of levels as they’ve somehow drifted closer since they sat down. Their shoulders are touching and Lexa can feel Clarke’s knee shaking very slightly. She quickly realises that it is a cold night and Clarke didn’t have a jacket on. Without saying anything Lexa takes off her scarf and offers it to Clarke.

“It’s okay,” Clarke smiles. “I’m fine.”

“Just take the scarf, Clarke. I have a jacket on and you don’t.”

Clarke shakes her head. “It’s okay, really. Pizza will be done soon and we’ll be back in the car in no time.”

But Lexa doesn’t accept the answer, instead she just loops the scarf around Clarke’s shoulders. For a moment Clarke tries to dodge the move, but Lexa is quicker and manages to have it around the woman’s neck. But then there’s a beat between them and they’re even closer now. Lexa doesn’t take her grip off the scarf and finds herself getting a little lost in Clarke’s eyes.

Lexa pulls lightly at the ends of the scarf and leans in slowly. She can hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest but she’s just in this trance and she doesn’t particularly want it to break. Her breath hitches when she feels Clarke’s hand come to rest on her knee as she starts to meet Lexa halfway.

Their lips meet in a gentle graze first, as if they were giving the other a chance to pull back. But neither of them do so Lexa takes the first move and pushes forward to connect their lips properly. The kiss starts off slow, but the sensation of Clarke’s lips on hers has Lexa seeing the stars. She pulls at the scarf, encouraging Clarke to come closer.

Clarke seems to get the message and kisses with a little more intensity and a little more purpose. Lexa finds herself completely losing herself in the moment. It’s been so long since she’s had this feeling. There are butterflies in her stomach and she doesn’t feel like this is wrong. It just feels so right.

They break away from the kiss, but remain close. With their foreheads resting against each other, Lexa is the first to open her eyes again. Clarke’s eyes are still closed and her lips tug up into a small smile. “I’m–”

Clarke shakes her head. “If you’re going to apologise, don’t,” she whispers. She moves back completely to look right at Lexa. “Only apologise if you really mean it.”

Lexa lets out a small breath but doesn’t reply. Clarke’s hand still remains her knee and she feels as if the touch is becoming all very hot. “I’m not apologising,” she says. “But I shouldn’t have done that, I don’t want to complicate things.”

“What is there to complicate?”

“Your Mia and Aden’s teacher, Clarke. That’s more than enough to complicate things.”

“We don’t have to make it complicated,” Clarke whispers. She lifts her hand off Lexa’s knee and moves to intertwine their fingers together.

“Clarke…” Lexa breathes.

“I like you,” Clarke replies immediately. “We’re adults. I’m not going to pretend and I’m not interested in playing games to get your attention. I like you.” She smiles, “And I think you like me to…”

“What gave that away, detective?” Lexa teases. They both share a small laugh and Lexa gives Clarke’s hand a soft squeeze. “I do like you, Clarke. But I just don’t… I don’t think it’s the right time. And I know with me kissing you–”

“Hey, it takes two to tango,” Clarke interrupts.

“It does.” Lexa pauses. “It’s only been two weeks since we moved here though. I’m still trying to find my place here. Right now, I have to focus on my kids and making sure that they also find their place here as well.”

“I understand,” Clarke nods. “Can I take _this,_ ” she gives Lexa’s hand a small squeeze, “Maybe as a _not yet_?”

“Clarke… I can’t ask you to wait.”

“I’m not in a rush to date or be in a relationship, Lexa.” She pauses and smiles. “But I know that I would really like to see if there could be something between us.”

Lexa doesn’t reply straight away. Instead she studies Clarke’s facial expression, and is overcome by the feelings that that washes through her. Her heart is beating quite rapidly, there are still butterflies in her stomach and for the first time in a long time, she feels hopeful over the possibility that this could be something more.

“Not yet,” Lexa repeats in an almost whispers.

Clarke smiles. “Not yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you're well! thanks for reading :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lexa chaperones the school excursion, raven octavia anya find out about the kiss and a flashblack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you're well! happy reading xx

After Rosie and Ben’s birthday, the weekend is quiet. The florist is only opened half day on Saturday and closed completely on Sunday. Lexa also sets up a few Skype calls with Mia and Aden’s friends back in Polis. It’s no secret that they miss their friends and it’s one of the things Lexa was most concerned with when they moved. But fortunately, Mia and Aden seem to be fitting in well at their new school.

The start of the second week of school is normal. Lexa has talked with both Mia and Aden about whether or not they wanted to start catching the bus, with both of them eagerly saying _yes._ So she decides that just for the rest of this week, she’ll drop them off. But starting the following week, they can start catching the morning bus.

Naturally, things between Clarke and Lexa shifts after the kiss they shared. It isn’t a big shift, or even a bad one, but there is definitely a change in the beat between the two of them. There are stolen glances as Lexa drops off/picks up Mia and Aden at school, secret smiles and random conversations at the end of the day kind of become a normal thing between the two.

It’s got Lexa feeling like a kid in high school with a crush. The butterflies, the banter, the flirting, it’s all relatively new and at the same time, exciting. It really has been a while since someone has sparked this type of feeling within her. While she isn’t ready to date again or jump into a relationship, she can definitely feel herself considering the possibility of being ready (and Clarke has definitely got something to do with this).

 

* * *

 

It’s now Wednesday, the day Lexa will be chaperoning the kids’ excursion to the aquarium. The day starts like any other, with the simple addition of Lexa also packing a backpack for herself. This is the first time she’s done something like this, so she did spend a couple of hours reading through different forums and sites on chaperoning excursions.

Lexa places two plates on the table, both with 3 small pancakes on them and some cut up fruit. “Mia! Aden! Breakfast!” she calls out. She walks back into the kitchen and grabs the maple syrup, passing it along to Aden who walks past first. Grabbing her own plate, Lexa then goes to take a seat as well. “Excited to go to the aquarium today?”

“Yeah,” Aden mumbles through chewing his food.

Lexa shakes her head slightly, “Don’t speak me with your mouth full.”

Aden covers his mouth and rather dramatically finishes chewing before apologising within a playful grin.

“Miss Clarke said we’re going to get to take a lot of photos with iPads today!” Mia says.

“And we’re going to see sharks!” Aden adds.

Lexa nods along and can’t help but smile as her children get excited for the day ahead. She’s actually pretty excited too. One of the biggest reasons why she moved to Arkadia and why she took on such a big career change, is because of her children. Being a financial manager took a lot out of her, and she found herself missing out.

Now, she has the freedom and ability to immerse herself in her children’s life. Of course she still has the florist, but that’s something she can manage easily. She’s got a great team with her to run the store, which is a big reason why she feels more than comfortable with not coming in for the day.

Lexa finishes her breakfast first and sets to packing a few extra things into her backpack. From what she read on the forums, it’s always good to pack some extra snacks, tissues and a few first aid items. They were only going to the aquarium, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

She also sets to making lunch; and again it’s a Nutella sandwich for Mia and a PB&J one for Aden.  Lexa decides to make some extra sandwiches as well, just in case one of the kids drop their lunch or something like that.

 

By 8:40am, they’re all in the car and on their way to school. Mia and Aden are still as excited as they were at breakfast, bouncing in and out of their seats the entire car ride. Lexa parks the car in the staff car park and walks into the school with her kids. She didn’t really know where to go at this point, but her best guest is towards Clarke’s classroom.

“ _Lexa_!”

Lexa turns around at the call of her name to see Jake walking towards her. “Mr Griffin, good morning.” They continue to walk, with Mia and Aden just in front of them.

“Morning. I heard this is your first time chaperoning?”

Lexa nods. “It is.”

“Well, you’re in for a good day. The kids are pretty well behaved if previous excursions are anything to go off by.”

“I’m sure they’ll be great,” she smiles. “Are you heading to Clarke’s classroom?”

Jake shakes his head. “Just on morning duty. Thought I would say hi, but I should continue to make my rounds.”

“Have a good day, sir.”

“You too, Lexa.”

Mia and Aden put their bags on the hooks outside the classroom and split off to find their friends. Lexa mindlessly wanders out the main courtyard where most of the kids in the school are playing around before the first bell rings. She walks over to some benches where some other parents are sitting by.

Lexa looks around and spots Mia first. Her daughter is with a couple of other kids she recognises from the class, and they’re sitting on the ground playing various hand games. Everything within her is singing, because there isn’t any better feeling knowing that her kids are settling into the new school. Not too far away is Aden, who stands by Ben, watching a game of handball the older kids are playing. Aden’s always been a little quieter and shy compared to Mia, but Lexa can tell that even he is adjusting well to their new home.

Just at that moment, a water bottle rolls past her and she immediately reaches down to grab it up. As she looks back up to see who it belongs to, a woman is taking a few steps closer towards her.

“Sorry,” the woman says. “I was trying to put it in my niece’s bag but she ran off because she saw her friend.”

Lexa chuckles softly. “It’s okay.” She hands back the bottle. “Kids get so excited seeing their friends again, even if it’s just been a day.”

“You can say that again. Just… give me a second.”

Lexa watches as the woman runs off to who she assumes to be the niece. The woman comes back just a couple of moments later and takes a seat next to her. “Your niece is adorable,” Lexa says.

“She is, isn’t she? So I’ve never seen you hear before…”

Lexa hums softly. “Just moved here during the holidays actually.” She turns to face the woman and offers her hand, “Lexa Woods.”

“Darcy Stone,” the woman replies as she accepts the handshake. “Mind if I ask where you use to live?”

“Polis.”

“Oh wow, big change.”

Lexa nods. “It’s a good change though. Arkadia is beautiful.”

“What year is your child in?” Darcy asks.

“Children,” Lexa corrects. “I have twins; Aden and Mia and they’re in Year 2.”

“Oh, my niece Violet is actually in Year 2 as well.”

Lexa finds herself falling into a very easy conversation with Darcy. They quickly learn that they’ll actually be spending the day together as Darcy is also chaperoning the excursion to the aquarium. Violet’s mother had something come up last minute, and Darcy put her hand up to fill in.

The conversation is what you’d expect from two people getting to know about each other. Lexa tells Darcy about a little about the move, her kids and the florist. She also learns that Darcy runs the after school arts and craft program and invites Lexa to check it out with the kids one afternoon. And Darcy also introduces her to a couple of the other parents who come by.

 

* * *

 

Clarke sits next to Lincoln in the staff room, just double checking that they have everything ready for the day a head. She’s known him since college, both of them doing the same course. They hit it off really quickly, helping each other through their degree and eventually with a little luck, they both managed to score a teaching position at the same school.

He is family at this point. For anyone who doesn’t know him, he can look quite intimidating – but really, he’s anything but that. He is kind, caring and has a way with the kids. His smile is absolutely infectious and he’s a great teacher. Ava usually comes home with nothing but major compliments and praises for her teacher.

“Did you call the bus company?” she asks.

Lincoln nods as he continues reading through a few papers. “They should be here quarter past.” He brings his paper to a single pile and turns to Clarke. “I’ll grab the name tags and first aid kit. You have the confirmation, right?”

Clarke nods. “I do.” They check off a few other items between them before going their separate ways. Everything is basically done at this point. All that is left to do is give the kids a name tag and go over the plan for the day with them. She gathers her things and starts to make her way out of the staff room.

Stepping out into the courtyard, she sees what she sees most days. The kids are just running around waiting for the bell, parents catch up with other parents and her dad is on duty this morning. She starts to make her way towards her class room when she spots Lexa sitting on one of the benches, talking to Darcy.

Of course she knows who Darcy is. The woman may not be a teacher or part of the admin staff, but she’s still pretty involved with the school (and other various schools in the area). That’s one of the reasons why it was really easy for her to fill in for her sister (Violet’s mum) on such short notice.

As Clarke walks closer, Darcy and Lexa are laughing and smiling at everything that is being said between them. She can’t help but stare because Lexa’s smile is probably one of the most beautiful things she’s seen. It instantly gives her a feel-good feeling but she also finds herself feeling slightly jealous.

There hasn’t been a day she hasn’t thought about the kiss. That kiss, was the best first kiss she’s had. Period. The only way to describe it is to use every cliché in the book. She saw fireworks and stars, she felt _that_ spark, _that_ connection the moment Lexa’s lips were on hers. And she absolutely did not want it to end.

She’s so fucking grateful that the kiss didn’t make things awkward between the two of them. Instead, it kind of just kick started what she hopes to be a budding romance. Lexa told her that she wasn’t ready to date or be in a relationship and Clarke has every intention to give Lexa the time and space she needs. But god does she find herself wanting to kiss Lexa again.

Clarke simply offers a quick hello to both Lexa and Darcy as she walks past. She tells them that once the bell rings, they can just to the classroom where they’ll start to organise the kids for the excursion. While there is a little pang of jealously, it’s the not reason why she keeps the conversation short. Darcy is a great person and friend and she just wants to make sure Lexa feels a part of the school community.

 

By the time the bell rings, Clarke steps out of her classroom to greet her students. They line up in two straight lines like they do everyday and she smiles. “Morning Year 2.”

“Good morning Miss Clarke,” they say back.

Clarke steps to the side slightly and motions for them to enter the room. “Take a seat at your tables. We have to talk about a few things before we head on the bus.” She then turns to Lexa and Darcy who are standing by, “Come in.”

Clarke marks the role and has June help hand out name tags to everyone in the class. As the kids stick the tags onto their shirts, she goes on to explain what she expects from them during the day. It’s your usual, “don’t wander off,” “listen to whoever is speaking,” “if you’re feeling unwell let someone know,” kind of thing.

 

By 9:20, both Clarke and Lincoln’s classes are making their way onto the bus. Both year 1 and 2 are relatively small so they only need the bus to fit everyone in. Clarke is the last person to step onto the bus. She does a final headcount before telling the driver that they’re ready to go; 40 kids, 2 teachers, 4 chaperones.

As the bus starts to drive, she turns and walks to take the spare seat next to Lincoln. Part of her (the part that has a major crush) was kind of hoping that she would be able to sit next to Lexa during this ride. Though they’ve spoken every couple of days, it was usually only briefly when she dropped off or picked up Mia and Aden.

Most of the kids behave. There are a few times when a few of them get a little too rowdy, but it slowly fizzles down when she calls them out. She and Lincoln talk about their day ahead a little more, just to make sure they’re both on the same page. The last thing they need is to run into any problems while they’re out.

 

* * *

 

Once they get to the aquarium the two classes separate given that they were doing different programs. This term, year 2 is going to be looking into the topic of “Under the Sea”, where they will start to learn about the various marine life and the basics of the ecosystem of the ocean.

A group of aquarium employees take the class into a room where they begin to explain how the day was going to go. The program the aquarium offers incorporates ‘learning with technology’ so all the kids will be given iPads for the day. Lexa listens to them explain that there’s an interactive app they’ll be using that will help guide them through the program.

Lexa’s role as chaperone is be an extra set of eyes. She’s needs to make sure that they’re okay, that they don’t wander off and just to help whenever it’s needed. Simple enough.

 

A little later they're off and starting their tour through the aquarium. Lexa watches as Clarke kneels down and points out a few of the fishes to a small group of her kids. Seeing Clarke do her thing absolutely warms her heart. There’s this aura about her that leaves Lexa kind of breathless. Just the way Clarke carries herself and engages with her students is something that is left to be admired greatly.

They’ve been walking through the aquarium for about an hour now. All the kids are involved and eager to listen and learn. A big part of the programs has got them trying to find certain fish and taking photos of them with their iPad. At first Lexa was concerned that Mia and Aden would find it weird that she’s with them, but they seem too excited to even notice her (which is definitely a good thing).

“ _Having fun?”_

Lexa turns to see Clarke standing next to her. “I am, actually,” she replies. “I haven’t been to the aquarium in ages.”

“Mia and Aden seem to be really enjoying themselves.”

Lexa nods. “Yeah. I don’t think they remember the last time they were in an aquarium so they were definitely excited for today.” A comfortable silence falls between the two of them as they continue to watch the kids.

There’s a moment where Lexa turns back to Clarke, and Clarke is doing the same. The two of them exchange a wide smile and Lexa finds herself flicking her gaze down to Clarke’s lips for just a second. But it’s a second long enough for Clarke to notice. “Sorry,” Lexa whispers automatically.

“Don’t be,” Clarke smiles. “I should keep moving the class forward.”

Lexa nods and watches Clarke go. But that smile eases Lexa straight away. She’s not going to lie, that kiss she had with Clarke just continues to linger in her mind. But this is neither the time or place to be thinking about anything other than her job as a chaperone.

The rest of the morning goes by well. Lexa finds herself talking to Darcy a little more about the arts and craft program that she runs – thinking that maybe her kids might be interested in joining.

By noon they take a break so that the kids can have lunch. The aquarium employees take them towards an assigned area for school kids specifically. Here, they meet with Lincoln’s class again and everyone takes a break together.

Lexa walks around with Darcy and Clarke to make sure that the year 2's have all bought their lunches and are eating. After she’s sure the kids are settled in, she excuses herself to use the bathroom.

Once she returns, Lexa looks around the room to see where she’s going to be sitting for her own lunch. On one table she spots Lincoln, Darcy and the two other chaperones already in conversation. Looking around the room again, Clarke is soon walking up towards her.

“Join me for lunch?” Clarke asks.

Lexa nods and the two of them sit across from each other on an empty table. “So what’s for lunch today, Clarke?”

“Leftover stir fry noodles from last night. What about you?”

Lexa pulls out the take-away container from her bag and opens I, showing the leftover spaghetti she had made the night before. “Leftovers are great.”

“They are, aren’t they?” Clarke takes a bite of her lunch first. “Some foods just taste so much nicer the next day, you know?”

“Definitely.”

The two of them continue to eat and talk about various little things. It’s a light conversation and it’s fun, but Lexa tries to keep it as G-rated as possible because again, this is neither the time or place. And fortunately Clarke does the same, given that this is her job.

“Question,” Clarke says as she finishes taking a sip of her drink. “Favourite sea animal?”

“What?” Lexa mumbles.

“Favourite sea animal? Or are they not your thing?”

Lexa shakes her head. “Oh no, I didn’t hear you. I love the deep sea and my favourite animal would probably be giant squids.”

“Giant squids, really Lexa?” Clarke raises an eyebrow.

“What? I think they’re fascinating.”

“Fascinatingly scary.”

Lexa laughs softly. “Scared of the deep sea, Clarke?”

“Definitely,” Clarke replies immediately. “The articles I’ve seen on BuzzFeed have scarred me about the deep sea.”

Lexa laughs again. “Not exactly a reliable source, Clarke.”

“Still– No deep sea creatures for me thanks. I’ll just stick to the nemo’s and dory’s.”

“You mean clown fishes and blue tangs?” Lexa asks.

Clarke shakes her head and grins. “Nope. I mean nemo’s and dory’s.”

“So they’re you’re favourite sea animals?”

Clarke bites her bottom lip and hums a little. “No probably not… I would have to say my favourite animal would probably be… jellyfishes.”

“And you call my animal scary,” Lexa laughs.

“Hey,” Clarke says, pointing her fork right at Lexa, “Jellyfishes are cool.”

“Very compelling argument, Miss Clarke.”

 

* * *

 

The afternoon session gives the kids the opportunity to spend some time around the touch pool. One of the employees talks about the underwater ecosystem in a way the kids can understand it and most of them are completely intrigued by everything that they’re being told.

After this the employees guides them towards the last part of the aquarium. From the schedule Lexa has, they were going to spend about 40 minutes in one of the largest exhibits of the aquarium. It’s essentially a room that’s got a massive cylindrical fish tank in the middle of it – which showcases hundreds of various corals, plants and fishes.

When they walk into the room they see that Lincoln’s class is already there and everyone seems to be in absolute awe. It is a grand exhibit with the colours and lighting complimenting each other to the tee. This is some free time for the kids to enjoy before they have to head back to school. So most of them walk up right to the glass to try and get a closer look while the others take a seat on the steps.

Lexa walks around and offers the extra snacks she’s packed to the kids who are sitting down. Darcy and the other chaperones also seem to have extra food so they do the same. Surprisingly, Lexa’s snacks and sandwiches are all gone and she’s glad that she took the time to prepare them.

Soon enough Lexa takes a moment and sits on the steps as well. She watches all the kids almost press their faces up to the glass and she can’t help but smile. One of the things she loves about kids is their wonderment in the new things they learn. It’s enthralling itself, to watch kids explore and learn what the world has to offer.

A couple of minutes later, Ava approaches her. “Can I sit next to you Lexa?” she asks.

Lexa _almost_ places her hand over her heart at how sweet Ava is. “Of course you can.” Ava sits next to her and then offers her one of the apple slices in her container. Lexa shakes her head, “Oh no, it’s okay. You eat them. Did you have fun today?”

Ava nods excitedly. “We saw nemo’s and dory’s!”

Lexa chuckles softly as she remembers the conversation she had with Clarke during lunch. _Like mother like daughter._

“We got to touch some starfish,” Ava continues, “Oh and I got a sticker for answering a question right!” She points to the star sticker on her shirt, proudly.

“Oh well done,” Lexa replies.

“Did you have fun today?”

Lexa nods. “I did. I love the ocean. What was your favourite animal?”

“The turtles. Did you know they can live for 150 years?”

“Really?” Lexa asks. She knew they lived long, but she didn’t know that it was _that_ long.

Ava nods and takes another bite of an apple slice. “And they've been around for a really, really long time and they can hold their breaths for HOURS...”

 

* * *

 

Clarke walks around the exhibit for a bit as she makes sure her kids see a bit of everything. She doesn’t come to the aquarium often, so this is probably her favourite part of the excursion. Watching the kids get lost and captivated by things like this is why she loves being a teacher. Being part of their learning process, and being able to positively influence the way they see the world is something she takes to heart.

She walks up to Stephanie, Nina and David who all have their faces pressed up against the glass. “What are you guys looking at?”

“Miss Clarke, look, the fishes are dancing!” Stephanie grins.

Clarke looks into the tank and finds herself grinning as well.  There were a school of fish that were swimming in formation and it's definitely pretty cool. She also points out a few other fishes to her students that catch her eye before moving along.

The sight she sees when she turns towards the steps has her feeling like she’s floating in the clouds. Ava is sitting next to Lexa and it looks like her daughter is in the middle of telling a story of some sort. Lexa sits there and nods along, laughing and is completely engaged in the conversation. It does absolutely warm her heart, and there is no denying that it makes Lexa that much more beautiful to her.

It’s a little weird though... In the sense that when she’s dated in the past, none of them met Ava (with exception Niylah who met her daughter about a month into their relationship). Her daughter is the most important part of her life and Clarke didn’t want to introduce just  _anyone_ to Ava. 

If she wasn’t already feeling like she was in the clouds, Aden then approaches Lexa to give his mum a quick hug. Clarke’s too far away to hear they’re saying but she can tell it’s probably something along the lines of “Are you hungry? Do you need anything?” When Aden shakes his head, Ava then goes on to continue telling whatever story she’s telling. It’s a picture perfect moment in her book.

 

When it’s time to head back to school, Clarke takes a seat up front as Lincoln start to do the final head count. Lincoln’s chaperones walk onto the bus right after, followed very closely by Lexa. “Hi,” Clarke smiles.

“Hi,” Lexa replies. “Mind if I sit?”

Clarke immediately shakes her head, “Not at all.” And god does she feel ridiculous. She shouldn't be feeling flustered just by this simple act but yet here she is, feeling like her cheeks are burning.

“ _Way to take my seat, Commander.”_

Both of them turn around to see Lincoln standing there with a playful smile.

“Oh,” Lexa gasps. “Sorry I didn’t know. I can move–”

“–I’m just kidding,” Lincoln cuts in. He walks up to the bus driver to let him know that they were good to go.

“So Commander?” Clarke asks, raising an eyebrow. “Seems like there’s a story to that one?”

“Not an interesting one.”

“Aw come on, humour me.”

Lexa laughs a little. “It’s just a nickname they gave me when I was a finance manager.”

“Commander Lexa,” Clarke says, letting the ‘a’ roll off her tongue a little longer than normal. “It’s got a nice ring to it.”

“If you say so.”

Clarke nods. “I do. So I take it you were really good at your job? ‘Commander’ doesn’t seem like a nickname they just give to anyone.”

Lexa shrugs slightly.

“So modest,” Clarke grins.

“Like you said,” Lexa whispers as she leans in just a little closer, “They don’t just give anyone a nickname like ‘Commander’.”

It takes everything in Clarke not to look down at Lexa’s lips so she just chuckles and nods. The ride back to school goes by much too quickly for her liking. She and Lexa share various stories about Mia, Aden and Ava from their earlier years with Lincoln joining in as well on some occasions. It all feels so natural between them and Clarke is in a constant state of awe when it comes to Lexa.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, Clarke tucks Ava into bed and returns to the living room. Raven sits at one end of the couch, working away at her laptop and Octavia is currently on a Skype call with them. Clarke sits down as well and completely relaxes into the seat. She can’t help fight back the smile that appears on her face as the replays the day she’s had.

“What are you so happy about?” Raven asks.

Clarke shrugs softly. “I had a good day,” she replies.

Octavia smirks over the screen. “ _Lincoln tells me that you and Lexa got pretty close today.”_

“What?!” Raven yells. “Do tell!”

Clarke looks between Raven and Octavia, “Nothing happened.” She pauses and thinks about whether or not she should tell her friends about the kiss they shared. To be honest, she’s kind of surprised that she hasn’t said anything already but it’s been really nice to just having that moment between herself and Lexa. “Nothing happened… _today,”_ she clarifies.

“ _OH MY GOD, DID YOU MAKE A MOVE AND NOT TELL US.”_

Raven immediately looks up from her laptop and turns towards Clarke. But Clarke doesn’t say anything but merely bites her bottom lip. She nods.

“When?” Raven asks. “Where? How?”

“ _AND HOW WAS IT?”_

Clarke smiles. “It was honestly the best first kiss I’ve had.”

Raven looks to Octavia and gags. “Griffin is quite literally glowing. And she’s got that shit-eating grin on right now.”

“I’m not glowing!” Clarke argues.

Raven nods. “Yeah, you are.”

“ _So wait, when did this happen?”_ Octavia asks. “ _And the best? Really?”_

“When Lexa and I went to buy pizza for you guys. And yes,” Clarke nods, “The best. Like remember that time we had that _really_ good chocolate lava cake? And we ended up talking about it for a whole month?”

“ _Holy shit.”_

“So what now?” Raven asks.

“Now…” Clarke trails off. “For now, we’re just friends. She said that she wasn’t ready to date and she wants to focus on settling in. But I told her that I was interested.”

Raven places her hand over her heart. “Aw, so adult.”

Clarke laughs.

“ _And what did Lexa say?”_

“She said she likes me too,” Clarke smiles. “It’s just not the right time.”

Raven smiles as well. “And you’re okay with that?”

Clarke nods. “I am. I’m not in a rush to date and I’m not going to push her either. Lexa is… so great and I really think that there could be something really good between us.”

“You and Lexa aren’t even together yet and already you make me sick,” Raven comments.

Both Clarke and Octavia laugh.

“ _At least you know she and Ava get along really well. And you with Mia and Aden.”_

“Is it weird for you though?” Raven asks. “That Ava’s already met Lexa?”

Clarke shrugs slightly. “You would think so, right?” Raven and Octavia both hum in response. “It's yeah, a little weird but more so...  _different._ If anything it feels good knowing that they get along really well.”

“ _You really like her don’t you?”_ Octavia asks.

Clarke nods. “Yeah,” she admits quietly with a smile. “Yeah, I do.”

“Well damn, Griffin. You better not stuff this one up,” Raven teases.

“Oh trust me, that’s the last thing I want to do.”

 

* * *

 

“Hey Maya, can you grab me some of the orchids on your way here?” Lexa asks.

“Sure can!” Maya calls back.

Lexa starts to arrange the lilies from her basket over the brown wrapping paper. It might not have been long since the store opened, but Lexa found herself loving every moment she was working in the florist. It is nowhere near as stressful as her previous job and so much more exciting. Every day she meets new people and hears new stories, and most importantly, it’s not cutting into her family time.

Maya comes by and gives her the orchids before going off to attend to another one of the customers. Lexa puts the orchids in the bouquet and wraps the paper around, finishing it off with some string.

“Beautiful boss,” Harper compliments as she walks by. “Do you know what the occasion is?”

“Birthday,” Lexa replies. She grabs blank card and starts to write the message that was requested with the order.

“I hate you and your handwriting,” Harper says as she watches Lexa write the card.

Lexa laughs. “It’s just handwriting.”

“ _Really_ neat handwriting. Like, if I could marry your handwriting I would.”

Lexa just laughs again and finishes the card. Just as she pops the it into the bouquet, Maya walks by and takes it from her hand. “Harper is right; your writing is ridiculous.”

“You both are ridiculous,” Lexa argues back playfully. It’s a weak response but she doesn’t know what else she can say. She does actually have really nice handwriting.

 

Later in the afternoon, Lexa spends some time on the phone with one of the party planners. She gets the details on an event that Alice is organising, saying that the client would like to come in and talk about a few arrangements asap. Of course Lexa agrees to it and lets Alice know that she’s available whenever for the meeting.

She also spends some time looking over the applications of a few potential employees. Things in the shop have been going quite well and she has enough in her budget to hire someone new, a decision that she knows will benefit her in the long run.

The days ends like most, with her leaving just in time to go and pick up the kids from school. She’s grateful that she’s found employees who she trusts to close up without her. With every day that passes, Arkadia just makes her feel more at home than ever.

Mia and Aden have adjusted to well to their new home as well. They come back home after school all smiles and giggles as they recount the day they’ve had. Every day there’s a new story and it just makes Lexa’s heart swell with so much joy. Because as a mother, all she wants to do is make sure that her kids are living the life they deserve.

And as for her relationship with Clarke, it’s going really well. The kiss hasn’t been brought up again, but things between them are far from awkward. They talk almost everyday still, whether it’s just in passing when she’s at the school or just a couple of messages at the end of the day. It’s light and easy and it’s exactly what she needs right now.

 

* * *

 

The following Tuesday, Lexa prepares dinner as Anya sits with Mia and Aden at the dining table, helping the kids with her homework. Lexa’s had a long day at work and had to call her sister to see if she can watch the kids for the afternoon. She had a last minute meeting with Alice’s client who wanted to change the flower arrangements they had organised the day before.

Being this close to her sister again is great. While most people say that Anya is intimidating, she is anything but that around Mia and Aden. Lexa watches as Anya helps sound out various words that the kids are meant to be trying to spell. She can’t help but smile. Family is the most important thing in her life and she’s prepared to do absolutely anything for those she loves.

 

The kids are in bed by 9 and Lexa and Anya retreat to the couch to just talk. Anya tells Lexa about the wedding dress she’s working on and her upcoming photoshoot with Becca (the renowned wedding photographer). And Lexa tells Anya about how things are going with the store, her potential new employee and the events she’s got lined up.

Sometime during the conversation, Lexa’s phone lights up with an incoming message. She picks it up to check who it is and grins as she sees Clarke’s name. But she decides not to reply just yet, and puts her phone to the side.

“Who’s got you smiling _like that_?” Anya asks.

“What are you talking about?”

Anya laughs. “Oh don’t play stupid. I know _that_ smile.” She pauses and squints a little, “Are you seeing someone and not telling me?”

“What?” Lexa asks. “No.”

“I don’t believe you…”

Lexa shrugs. “Well it’s all I got.”

“Who messaged you then?”

Lexa sighs internally, she knows that Anya is not going to drop the topic and if she lies her sister will see right through it. “Clarke,” she answers.

“Ah,” Anya nods. “Now it makes sense.”

“Shut up.”

“Seriously, why don’t you just ask her out already?”

“She’s Mia and Aden’s teacher.”

Anya shakes her head. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“It kind of does,” Lexa argues. “I don’t want to complicate things.”

“But you _want_ to ask her out… don’t you?”

She doesn’t answer right away, but eventually gives a small nod. She might not be ready but she knows she does want to ask Clarke out. Her mind instantly goes back to their kiss and she finds herself craving the intimacy again. That moment with Clarke replays itself over and over in her mind and it gives her butterflies every time.

“Wait…” Anya whispers, “Has something happened between the two of you?”

Lexa snaps out of her haze. “What?”

“You totally just dazed off there. I _know_ you, Lex. Don’t lie to me.”

“Okay,” Lexa huffs softly. “We… I may have… we kissed at the twins’ birthday party. Well not _at_ the party but when we went to get pizzas for everyone.”

“Oh my god! And you’re only telling me this now?”

Lexa shrugs again. “What was I supposed to do? Come telling you right after it happened?” she jokes.

“Uhh yeah.”

“How old are you?” Lexa teases.

“Shut up,” Anya smirks. “So what now?”

“Now… we’re just friends. I like her, I do, but I’m just not ready.”

“And where does Clarke stand in all of this?”

Lexa smiles. “She said she’d wait.” And that still surprises her. At first she thought she would feel pressured or guilty, but Clarke has not rushed or pushed her in any way. Since the kiss they’ve just been getting to know each other at a steady rate and Lexa feels like this is a good pace. “How do you think Mia and Aden will react?”

“To you and Clarke dating?” Anya asks. When she sees Lexa nod, she continues, “I think… well they like Clarke so you don’t have to worry about them not getting along. But you should still ease them into the idea of you dating again.”

“Yeah…” Lexa whispers.

Anya nods. “You’ve been… single for the last two and a half years and they know that. Your life is relatively settled now, so it’s not like you’re going to be springing this onto them during a time when you all have a lot on your plate.”

“Clarke’s got Ava too…”

“Yeah,” Anya replies. “And Ava is a sweet kid who you get along with too, as does Mia and Aden.”

“I just don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Do you really think that you will though?” Anya asks.

Lexa takes a moment and she shakes her head. Part of her knows that she’s taking this time because she knows that there could definitely be something really good between Clarke and herself. It may have only been a few weeks since they’ve met but what Lexa feels for Clarke is so strong she can’t ignore it.

“Obviously do things at your own pace,” Anya continues. “I wouldn’t tell the kids right away. Ease into it, spend some more time with Clarke and see where things go from there.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Because at least for you, it is. Isn’t it a nice feeling to know that the person you like, likes you back?” she asks. “Clarke isn’t going to play games with you. She has a child of her own and knows better than anyone else what you’re going to be feeling when your relationship starts to grow.”

Lexa leans forward and pokes her sister in the shoulder slightly. “Who knew you could give such good relationship advice.”

Anya shrugs playfully. “Don’t get used to it though,” she jokes. “Once you and Clarke start dating, I just _know_ you two are going to make me sick. And I’m going to make sure you both know that.”

Lexa laughs. “I don’t doubt that at all.”

“So…” Anya trails.

“So…?

“How was the kiss?”

Lexa all but rolls her eyes before getting up and making her way towards the kitchen, ignoring how her sister calls after her.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, Lexa lays in bed toying with the ring around her necklace. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that she said goodbye to the love of her life and at other times it feels like it was a lifetime ago.

 

**January 17 th 2014**

_Any day now._

_That’s what the doctors keep telling them._

_She doesn’t want to listen, but she has to. They’ve been preparing themselves for this moment for a long time now, but it doesn’t help. How could anyone prepare themselves for such a moment?_

_How could anyone prepare themselves to say goodbye to the love of their life?_

_How could anyone tell their children that their mother is about to die?_

_Lexa stands just outside Costia’s hospital room, trying to compose herself before she's meant to go in. These past couple of weeks have been the longest of her life, the worst couple of weeks of her life. She’s done everything to remain strong though, for Costia, for Mia, for Aden – for her family._

_Costia and herself have always believed in absolute honesty for their kids, so Mia and Aden knew what was going on. They couldn’t do it alone though. They found Malinda – a counsellor who specialises in helping families through such difficult times.  Malinda has been absolutely wonderful in helping the entire family through this. She’s talked to them as a family and individually. Costia calls her their guardian angel and Lexa would have to say that she agrees._

_She’s just had another small meeting with Malinda, who is now talking to Mia and Aden in the cafeteria. She didn’t want to leave the kids but she isn’t going to tell Malinda how to do her job. The woman has definitely invested herself into her family over the last few months so Lexa does trust her._

_At the moment some of Costia’s friends are in the room, so Lexa waits and gives them time. Over the last week, she’s been on the phone with Costia’s family and friends to let them know that they should come by and say their goodbyes. It isn’t a particularly long list of people, but it’s still some of the most difficult conversations she’s had to have._

_About ten minutes later the door is opening and Lexa looks over to the people walking out of the room. All three friends have red and puffy eyes, which just causes Lexa to start crying again. She gives them all a long hug as they offer their best, letting her know that if she needs anything to just call._

_Once Lexa says goodbye to them, she heads into the room. Immediately, Costia looks over to her and smiles. “Hey love.”_

_“Hey,” Lexa whispers back. She pulls up a chair right next to the bed and takes her wife’s hand, placing a few small kisses along Costia’s knuckles. “How are you?”_

_“Tired,” Costia whispers._

_Lexa lets out a small breath. “I know.”_

_“Where’s Mia and Aden?”_

_“With Malinda in the cafeteria. They’ll be up soon.” Lexa gives Costia’s hand a small and reassuring squeeze. With her free hand she wipes away a few tears before dropping her head onto the bed, where she continues to cry anyways._

_Costia runs her fingers through Lexa’s hair. “You’re going to be alright, Lex.”_

_“How?” Lexa mumbles._

_“Because I know you,” Costia replies. “You are the strongest person I know. You will get be okay. You, Aden and Mia, you’ll all be okay.”_

_Lexa lifts her head up from the bed, keeping her hands wrapped around her wife’s. “I love you,” she whispers._

_“I love you too.” There’s a small pause and Costia brings Lexa’s hand above her heart. “I want you to promise me something.”_

_“Anything,” Lexa nods._

_“Let yourself be opened to love again.”_

_“Cos–”_

_Costia shakes her head slightly. “I know it’s the last thing on your mind right now, but I need this Lex.” She pauses. “I need to know that you will love and let yourself be loved the way you deserve to be.”_

_Lexa brings her hands to her face again, giving her eyes another rub. She can’t even think about tomorrow – let alone that far into the future. But she can understand where Costia is coming from. If the situations were reversed, she’d be asking for the same thing._

_“Lex…” Costia whispers._

_Lexa eventually nods softly. “I promise,” she whispers. “I promise.”_

_“Come here….”_

_Lexa stands up so that she can lean in closer, hovering so that their noses just brush over each other. A couple of seconds later she leans in slowly, closing the distance between them. It’s a soft kiss, slow, tender, loving. After the kiss ends, Lexa places another kiss on Costia’s forehead before sitting down again._

_They just watch each other for a long while. The hustle of the people out in the corridors disappears, the hums of the machines go mute and in this moment, it feels like it’s just the two of them. It feels like they still have so much time, when in reality they have anything but time._

_“Find someone who you can share a Hawaiian pizza with,” Costia whispers with a small smile._

_Lex manages to chuckle slightly but before she can say anything, familiar voices enter the room._

_“Mama!”_

_“Mum!”_

_Mia and Aden run into the room and come to a stop at the bed. Costia pats either side of her, gesturing for them to hop on._

_Lexa turns to Malinda, who remains standing at the door. “Thank you,”_

_Malinda nods and smiles. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”_

_“Bye.”_

_“Bye Malinda!” the kids yell back._

_When Lexa turns back to the bed, she sees Costia kiss the top of Aden’s head and then the top of Mia’s. She takes in everything about this moment; what the kids are wearing, how their hair is done, the way the sun shines through the window, even the smell of the hospital room._

_She doesn’t know it yet, but this is the last time they’ll all be together as a family._

_Costia Woods passes away in the early hours of the following morning._

 

* * *

 

Lexa snaps out of her daydream as her phone lights up the room with a couple of incoming messages from Anya. It’s nothing really important, so she just leaves it for the time being. But it’s now that she sees the message from Clarke she hasn’t replied to yet. She opens it.

 **Clarke Griffin**  
Hey, just wanted to make sure  
you’re okay. Didn’t see you  
at school today

Lexa can’t help but smile. It’s a little thing, Clarke noticing that she didn’t pick up Mia and Aden but it’s still is a sweet thought.

 **Lexa Woods**  
All good here. Just had a busy  
day at work so Anya picked up  
Mia and Aden for me

 **Clarke Griffin  
** How was your day?

Lexa starts to type out a reply but then deletes her entire message, deciding instead to call the other woman.

“ _Hey.”_

“Hey,” Lexa whispers. “Hope you don’t mind that I called you instead. I have a tendency to drop my phone on my face when I’m texting from bed.”

Clarke laughs over the phone. “ _Perfectly fine with me.”_

Lexa listens carefully over the phone, and it sounds like Clarke is busy doing something. But before she can say anything she hears Raven over the phone.

“ _HEY LEXA,”_ Raven yells.

“ _RAVEN GIVE ME BACK THE PHONE.”_

_“HOW YOU DOING LEXA? HOPE YOUR WELL!”_

_“RAVENNNNN!”_

_“BYE LEXA, GOT TO GO!”_

Lexa just chuckles and continues to listen to the banter between the two friends. It goes on for a good minute or so, sounding like Clarke and Raven were chasing each other around their apartment. But soon enough she hears a door close and Clarke sighs over the phone.

“ _Sorry about that. Raven’s just… well she’s just Raven.”_

Lexa smiles again. “It’s okay. That was funny.”

“ _Yeah because you weren’t the one chasing your roommate around the apartment like kids.”_

“It was cute.”

“ _So busy day at the florist?”_

Lexa hums in response. “Been called up to decorate a few events so I had to meet with a client this afternoon. Honestly, I don’t like to talk ill about people but she was very frustrating in every sense of the way.”

She hears Clarke laugh.

“ _My lips are sealed, Lexa.”_

“How was your day?” Lexa asks.

“ _It was great,”_ Clarke replies. “ _Mia and Aden are settling in really well, if you didn’t already know. It’s like they’ve been with us the whole year.”_

“That’s good.”

Their conversation continues on about the other little things about their day. It’s small talk and it’s not particularly exciting, but it’s the fact that it’s Clarke that makes it a conversation Lexa just wants to carry on for as long as she can.

Everything is different with Clarke. Usually, she’s more guarded when it comes to meeting new people and letting them in. But ever since Clarke’s walked into her life, she’s just let herself be (almost) completely free and open to growing their relationship. And with every day that passes, and every moment they share together she feels herself becoming more and more ready to the possibility of something more.

But this also scares her. Because here is Clarke, a wonderful, beautiful, kind and loving woman who is waiting _for her._ Clarke is great and Lexa feels no pressure to rush things along, but she obviously can’t help but think _why?_ Why is Clarke waiting for _her?_ She’s never been in this situation before; she’s never had someone want her like this.

With Costia it was different. Costia was the new kid in school and they became friends while they dated, which eventually lead them to becoming girlfriends. But with Clarke, the attraction is there, they both like each other and they’re friends. It’s just a matter of time now.

But that still scares her. Because she doesn’t know when she’ll be ready and there is a part of her that feels like she’s stringing Clarke along. She isn’t, she is definitely interested. But it doesn’t stop her from feeling it.

“Clarke…” Lexa whispers. “Can I ask you something?”

“ _Uh-oh, is everything okay?”_

“Yeah, yeah,” Lexa reassures. “I was just thinking… about us…”

“ _What’s on your mind?”_

There’s a sense of hesitancy in Clarke’s voice and immediately, Lexa wants to reassure her that it isn’t anything bad. “I just, I want to ask, why me?” she continues. “Why are you waiting for me?”

There’s just a quiet moment between the two of them before Clarke speaks. “ _Before I met you I didn’t really have any interest in dating, you know? I’ve been very fortunate in my life, I have a beautiful daughter, great friends and a very supporting family. I have everything in my life that makes me happy.”_

Lexa hums softly. “Yeah…”

“ _I obviously still have all those things. But now that I’ve met you, I find myself wanting someone to share that all with.”_

Lexa nods to herself. She knows exactly what Clarke is saying because she feels it too. She’s got a beautiful family, great friends a life that she’s so grateful for. And like Clarke, she hasn’t really thought about dating again until they met each other.

“ _And before you ask_ why you… _Lexa, you are unlike anyone I’ve met before. You’ve got this presence about you that I can’t explain. You’re the type of person musicians sings songs about, the type of person artists uses as their muse, the type of person that poets find their way to express themselves through their words.”_

“Clarke…”

_“I mean it, Lexa. But if this is too much, tell me. I just want to let you know where I stand.”_

She doesn’t realise it right away, but she finds few tears forming. So with her free hand, she wipes her eyes and lets out a small breath. “It’s just been a very long time…”

“ _I know,”_ Clarke whispers.

There’s another pause and Lexa feels her phone ding with incoming message.

“ _Look at the picture I just sent.”_

So Lexa does as she’s told and opens the message from Clarke. When she sees what it is, there is a small gasp. It’s a drawing of her (from her Facebook profile). It’s a simple drawing but it captures everything Lexa remembers about the moment the photo was taken.

“ _Told you,”_ Clarke says to break silence.

Lexa brings the phone back to her ear. “Clarke… it’s beautiful.”

“ _You’re beautiful.”_

She’s so glad that she’s alone at the moment because god, she’s blushing bright red right now. If Anya knew that this is how she gets around Clarke, her sister would be teasing her relentlessly. “I just want you to know that I do like you too, Clarke,” Lexa whispers.

“ _That’s all I need.”_ Clarke pauses. “ _There is no need to rush anything, Lexa. You do what you got to do. We both know where we stand with each other and when you’re ready, just let me know because I’d really love to take you on a date.”_

Lexa smiles. “I’d like that too, Clarke.”

“ _Cool beans_.”

“Did you really just say _cool beans_?” Lexa laughs.

“ _Oh my god, I did. I want to say that’s something Ava says and it’s just rubbed off on me, but that would be a complete lie.”_

Lexa laughs again. “So I have a question…”

“ _Go for it.”_

“What’s your opinion of pineapple on pizza?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> moving forward, mia takes a minor fall, they visit the farmers market, there are some backyard science experiments and we reach the end of term 3 :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there are some backyard science experiments in this chapter, which i've linked within the chapter :)
> 
> hope you're well and happy reading!

For the next few weeks, Clarke feels like she’s on a constant high, and it definitely has something to do with Lexa. She’s usually a positive person, but with Lexa it somehow reaches a whole new level. Her relationship with the woman is still fairly new but it is still quite exciting. They see each other almost every day at the school and talk every couple of days as well.

At first, there was a brief moment where she thought that things would get awkward between them. She actually thought that the moment they shared their first kiss – but it’s been anything but that so far. Every conversation they have, she learns something new about Lexa and finds herself becoming only more intrigued.

Her friends definitely notice this positive shift in her. It doesn't take Raven and Octavia long to figure out the reason behind it. She’s been teased more often than not over the past few weeks. It doesn’t help that she completely blushes whenever they do tease her, but Clarke figures that it’s a small price to pay for the way she feels.

Mia and Aden have settled into the school just perfectly as well. Mia found her place very early on, being very confident and eager to get to know everyone in the class. For Aden it took a little longer and Lexa did tell her that he may take some time to settle in. So of course Clarke kept an eye on him and offered a hand whenever she could. And soon enough he did find his place.

 

* * *

 

It’s a Friday afternoon and Clarke is on duty, walking through the playground and watching the kids enjoy their break. She loves playground duty. Watching the kids run around, smiling and laughing, playing games and just enjoying themselves is a sight she will never get tired of.

She spots her daughter in the sandpit and internally groans a little. Whenever Ava spends time in the sandpit, she will find sand in her car and house for the days to come. But she continues on, doing a lap of the playground; making sure the kids are playing safely amongst each other.

By the edge of the playground, she spots one of the kids in kindy sitting of the floor, trying to tie their shoelaces up. Clarke kneels down and smiles, “Hey Tristan, need some help?”

Tristan shakes his head. “My brother taught me a trick. I think I got it…”

Clarke watches as the young boy mutters the bunny trick as he ties his shoelaces. He misses on his first go, but after trying again he manages to get his shoes tied.

“I did it!” Tristian yells in excitement.

Clarke nods and stands back up. “Well done.” Just as she’s about to continue on there’s piercing screams echo through the playground.

“ _MISS CLARKE! MISS CLARKE!”_

_“SOMEONE’S BLEEDING!”_

_“SHE TRIPPED!”_

_“MIA IS CRYING!”_

_“MISS CLARKE!”_

Clarke immediately whips around and looks around to find where the screaming is coming from. Not too far away from her a bunch of the students crowd in a small circle and she runs over. When she gets there she sees Mia on the ground, covering part of her face as the blood drips through her hands. “Oh Mia,” she whispers as she kneels down. The young girl continues to cry and Clarke tells the kids around her to all take a step back. Some of the kids around her then start to give their version of events.

“Mia, can I take a look?” Clarke asks. Mia nods softly and slowly moves her hand away from her face. At first sight, Clarke knows that they’re going to need to get to the ER to have it looked at. So she slides off her cardigan and bundles it into a small ball and places it over Mia’s head, to help ease the bleeding. Mrs Keys, the other teacher on duty, is already over to help with the situation.

Clarke helps Mia up to her feet, dusting the dirt and grass off her clothes. “It hurts,” Mia cries.

“I know,” Clarke replies. “But we’re going to go and make you feel better, okay?”

Mia nods. “Can you call mama?”

“We sure can.”

Clarke holds Mia’s hand as she walks them towards the office. Aden sees them and joins them immediately, concern for his sister written all over his face. He holds onto her other hand and whispers quiet reassurances all the way there.

When they get to the office, Clarke tells Nyko to call for the ambulance and gives him a brief run down on what happened. She walks the kids into sick bay, where Katy (the school nurse) helps clean the wound while they wait for the paramedics. Clarke stands close by, not once letting go of Mia’s hand.

“ _Hey, what happened?”_

Clarke turns around to see her dad walking in. “Mia took a fall, looks deep so I told Nyko to call for the ambulance.”

Jake nods. “I’ll text your mother to let her know so she can have someone ready for when Mia gets there.”

“Can you also tell Nyko to call Lexa?” Clarke asks.

Jakes nods and leaves the room to make the calls.

Five minutes later the paramedics arrive at the school. They give Mia an initial assessment and conclude that the wound would be better treated at the hospital. Her dad is also in the room, talking quietly to Aden – reassuring the young boy that his sister is going to be just fine.

Just as the paramedics tell them that it’s time to go, Mia gives a small tug on her hand. “Hospital?” she asks. Clarke nods. “I don’t like hospitals.”

“You have to go, Mia. We’ve called your mama and she’ll be there in no time.”

“Can you come with me?” Mia asks.

Clarke looks over to her dad – who’s nodding straight away. “Your class has library after lunch, right?” he asks.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll watch them, you can go.”

“Can I go too?” Aden asks.

Jake kneels down towards Aden. “Sorry Aden, we can’t let you go. But your sister will be fine, she just has to have her cut looked at. It won’t take long.”

“It’s okay Aden,” Mia whispers. “I’ll be okay.”

Aden then nods and remains quiet after that. Clarke helps Mia off the seat and they follow the paramedics outside. It just so happens that the hospital isn’t even five minutes away, and with it being the middle of the day the traffic isn’t too bad. It’s also quite convenient that her mum works there, so she knows that someone will be ready for them once they get there.

 

* * *

 

It’s a call that no parent ever wants to get.

“ _Mia’s taken a fall.”_

_“We’ve called for an ambulance.”_

_“She’s been taken to Ark Hospital.”_

Lexa gets the call when she’s in the middle of wrapping a bouquet of flowers. She doesn’t take a look at the caller ID, but the moment Nyko tells her that Mia is hurt, she freezes. She drops the flowers and does the best she can to listen as she makes her way to grab her bag from the backroom.

Monroe follows her to see what’s up and Lexa haphazardly tells her that her daughter’s been hurt and she needs to go. Monroe doesn’t say anything more, moving about the store to open the door to let Lexa leave just the second quicker.

The drive to the hospital feels excruciatingly long. But she makes it there about fifteen minutes later. Lexa runs to the reception desk, asking for directions on where she could find her daughter. The ER isn’t too far away from where she is, so she makes her way through the corridors until she finds someone who can direct her a little further.

One of the nurses guides her to a room and when she walks in she sees Mia sitting on the bed as a doctor tends to the wound. Clarke is also sitting next to Mia, holding onto her hand and whispering something.

“Mia,” Lexa breathes. She moves further into the room and sits beside her daughter, “Oh Monkey are you okay?”

Mia nods, as the doctor takes a moment to let them talk. “I’m getting butterfly stitches!” her daughter grins.

Lexa lets out a sigh of relief to see her daughter like this. The wound does look bad, but Mia doesn’t seem like she’s in much pain at the moment. “Is that so?”

Mia nods and then points to the doctor in front of her. “Did you know that this is Dr Griffin? She’s Clarke’s mama! And Ava’s grandma!”

Lexa turns to the woman and smiles. “Thank you, Dr Griffin.”

“It’s no problem,” the older woman replies. “Mia here is a wonderful patient.”

Lexa takes Mia’s hand in her own and gives it small squeeze.

“We’ve cleaned her wound,” Dr Griffin continues. “Just got to put the butterfly stitches in and she’ll be good to go.”

Lexa lets Dr Griffin continue with helping Mia. Then she remembers that Clarke is also in the room, so she turns to her. “Thank you for being here.”

Clarke give a small nod. “It’s no problem.”

It’s not long later that Dr Griffin is sliding back and letting them know that it’s all done. She praises Mia for being so still and so strong, earning a slight giggle in response. The doctor tells them to wait there as she goes to grab the paperwork and some aftercare instructions of the stitches.

When the door closes, Lexa turns to Mia and sighs a little. “What happened?”

“I was running and fell down,” Mia shrugs. “My shoelaces were untied.”

“Oh Mia, what have I told you?”

Mia frowns a little, “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Monkey,” Lexa whispers. She leans up and kisses Mia’s forehead softly. “Just remember to be careful next time.”

“I will,” Mia nods.

Lexa brushes her daughter’s hair away from her face, “Are you okay?”

Mia nods again.

Lexa then looks over to Clarke. She reaches forward and places her hand over Clarke’s, “Thank you, again,” she says.  

“Anytime,” Clarke smiles.

And Lexa returns the smile. They stare at each other for a moment longer than what would be considered normal, but it doesn’t matter. There’s a big part of Lexa that is so grateful that Mia wasn’t alone when she came into the hospital. Hospitals don’t hold the best memories for her kids, and they’ve told her that a few times. So it means the world that Clarke was with Mia all this time.

When Lexa hears the door opening again she pulls her hand off of Clarke’s. Turning back to the door, she sees Dr Griffin walk in. “There’s a slight back log with the system at the moment, but I can take you to the waiting area where they’ll help you as soon as it clears.”

Lexa nods and helps Mia off the bed. They follow Dr Griffin out from the room and towards the general waiting area where she takes a seat first. Mia doesn’t take a seat yet, instead stepping forward and giving Dr Griffin’s hand a small tug. “Thank you for making me feel better.”

“Thank _you_ for being a very good patient,” Dr Griffin replies.

Mia then goes to sit next to her mum and Lexa watches as Clarke and Dr Griffin have a quick and quiet conversation. Moments later they’re all exchanging their goodbyes and Clarke is coming to sit next to her.

“You okay?” Clarke asks.

Lexa nods. “I am. It means a lot that you were here, Clarke.”

“Again Lexa,” Clarke whispers, “It was no problem at all.”

“They don’t have the best memories in hospitals,” Lexa explains and Clarke understandably nods along. “So your mum seems nice.”

“You just caught her on a good day,” Clarke jokes. “I’m kidding, she’s great.”

“Surgeon, right?”

Clarke nods. “Trauma. So the ER is definitely her place in the hospital.”

“Dad’s a principal, mum’s a surgeon, daughter’s a teacher.” Lexa smiles. “The Griffin family is a smart bunch.”

“Your family owns a farm, you run your own business, and Anya’s basically famous,” Clarke counters.

Lexa chuckles and they fall into light conversation as they wait while Mia watches the TV in the meantime. Again, it’s just so easy with Clarke around. She thinks that if it was any other day and that if Clarke wasn’t here, she’d be stressing herself out still. But with Clarke comes a sense of security, a grounding point in what could have a much worse situation.

In this time Lexa messages Anya, letting her sister know what happened to Mia. Immediately Anya calls to make sure everything is okay and asking if there’s anything she can do to help. But Lexa reassures her that everything is okay and gets Mia on the phone for a little bit as well.

While Mia’s on the phone, Clarke calls into the school to check up on her class. The conversation isn’t long and after it ends, Clarke tells Lexa that her dad will watch Aden until they reach the school. They should be back in time, so it’s just more of a backup plan that gives Lexa one less thing to worry about.

 

* * *

 

The following morning, Lexa wakes up and treads quietly into Mia’s room to check on her daughter. Fortunately, Mia didn’t complain too much about the pain and slept through the night without any trouble. Lexa fixes the blanket around her daughter carefully before making her way to the kitchen.

She’s due to go into work today. The florist is only opened half days on Saturdays, so Lexa is going to take the kids with her today and then they’re going to have lunch with Anya afterwards. The first thing Lexa does when she gets into the kitchen is get her coffee going. She then makes her way around the kitchen, gathering ingredients so that she can make some pancakes for breakfast.

Aden wakes up as she’s just finishing the batter and putting the pan over the stove. And as always, he pulls up a chair and takes over making the pancakes (with her supervision of course).

“Is Mia still asleep?” Aden asks. “Is she okay?”

Lexa nods and walks over to Aden, “She’s going to be fine.” She then kisses the top of his head and brings him in for a tight hug. “So how are you liking school?” she asks, stepping away.

“It’s good.”

“Just good?” Lexa asks. While things _seem_ to be going okay for the kids, she just really wants to make sure that he isn’t struggling to find his place here. Mia has been very outspoken for her love of Arkadia and their new home. Aden’s always been a little more on the quieter side so it takes a little more in seeing how he’s feeling.

Aden nods. “Really. Miss Clarke is really nice and the school is nice too.”

“But…”

“But… I miss my friends,” he whispers.

“Oh sweetie…” Lexa steps back towards Aden and brings him in for another hug. “I know, but you’ve met some friends in class right?” Aden nods against her chest and Lexa hugs a little tighter. “Why don’t I call Alan’s parents later today and see if we he’s free to Skype soon?”

“Yes, please.”

Lexa nods and lets go of the hug. “You know you can talk to me about anything right?”

“I know.”

“I know that moving here has been a big change,” she says as she kisses the top of his head again, “But I am always here for. We’re in this together, okay?”

“Okay,” Aden smiles.

Lexa smiles too and then there’s a faint burning smell that fills the space between on. “Oh the pancakes Aden!” She quickly grabs the spatula and flips the pancake over, revealing a burnt pancake.

“Yummmm,” Aden jokes.

Lexa shakes her head and quickly discards of the burnt pancake, pouring another one into the pan once it’s back on the stove top. The two of them are more cautious now, joking and teasing each other on whose fault it was that the first pancake was a complete disaster.

Mia wakes up just as Aden is flipping over the last pancake. Lexa lifts her up to the counter and inspects the butterfly stitches and just asking again if she’s alright or if she’s feeling any pain. When Mia gives her the all clear, the three of them sit around the table and enjoy breakfast together.

Lexa mostly just listens to the conversation Aden and Mia have. It’s mostly just Aden telling his sister about what they did in library class while she was in the hospital. And actually halfway during breakfast he runs out of his seat, heads towards his room and comes back moments later.

“The class made you a get well card!” he yells as he places the card on the table.

Mia immediately opens it up and Lexa leans over to look at it. Inside the card the words “GET WELL SOON” is written in big block writing in the middle with the kids the class all signing their name in various places. Mia is grinning as she reads each and every name and Lexa, she’s grinning as well because that is a very thoughtful thing that the class has done for her daughter.

 

Later that morning, Lexa is working away in the florist. She’s at the table, wrapping up a few bouquets with Mia by her side and Aden is up at the counter with Maya, making small talk with the customers as they pay for their flowers.

“Mama?” Mia whispers.

Lexa looks over to her daughter, who’s sitting right by the table. “Yeah, Monkey?”

“What are we doing today?”

“Well we’ve got lunch with Aunt Anya later…”

“And after?” Mia asks.

Lexa shakes her head slightly and continues wrapping the bouquet. “That’s it. Why? Is there something you want to do today?”

Mia nods. “Can we go to the hospital?”

“Why?”

“I want to take some flowers to Dr Griffin.”

“You do?” Lexa can’t help but smile. This is pretty unexpected for a few reasons but it makes her heart just positively ache. Her daughter just nods in response and Lexa nods as well. “Of course we can.” Lexa then hands over a small basket to Mia, “Why don’t you go choose some flowers and I’ll wrap them together for you.”

“Yay!” Mia grabs the basket and starts to make her way around the store.

 

* * *

 

After lunch, Anya invites them to go check out the local farmer’s market. Aden is quick to say yes, after hearing that Rosie and Ben where going to be there too. Mia however asks Lexa if they still could go visit the hospital to give Dr Griffin the flowers. Of course Lexa says yes, and she tells Anya and Aden that she’ll come by afterwards.

When they reach the hospital, Lexa holds onto Mia’s hand whilst her daughter also clutches onto the bouquet. She’s tried to offer assistance, but Mia is really excited to be able to do this. Lexa can only hope that they’ll be able to catch Dr Griffin – even if just briefly since she can only imagine how hectic it must be for a doctor here.

They make their way towards the reception desk and Lexa waits as the woman in front of her finishes a call.

“Hi, how can I help you?” she asks.

Lexa smiles. “I was wandering if Dr Griffin is in today?”

“Yes, she is,” the woman nods as she starts to check her computer. “She’s actually on her lunch break right now…”

“Oh that’s perfect. She treated my daughter yesterday and she wants to say thank you.”

The woman behind the desk places her hand over her heart. “That’s sweet. I’m sure Dr Griffin would like that.”

After the woman instructs her to where the hospital cafeteria is, Lexa and Mia make their way through the corridors. They do get turned around a few times but eventually find themselves in the courtyard with Dr Griffin in their sights. But the woman isn’t alone, Lexa quickly realises that Clarke and Ava are also there.

Lexa approaches cautiously, and its Ava who notices them first.

“Lexa! Mia!” the younger girl yells with excitement.

“Hi Ava,” Lexa smiles. She looks over to Clarke and Dr Griffin, “Hey, sorry for intruding.”

Clarke immediately shakes her head. “No it’s fine, come take a seat.”

Lexa nods, but gives Mia and little tap on her shoulder first. Mia gets the message and steps up towards Dr Griffin, offering the flowers to the older woman. “These are for you.”

“Oh sweetie. These are beautiful.” Dr Griffin takes the flowers and gives them a quick smell before placing them on the table. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to,” Mia smiles. She then moves to sit next to Ava.

“Lexa, right?” Dr Griffin asks.

Lexa nods and offers her hands. “It’s nice to meet you… again Dr Griffin.”

“You can just call me _Abby._ ”

“Abby,” Lexa repeats. “Mia wanted to come by and thank you again for treating her.”

Abby turns to Mia and smiles again. She turns back to Lexa, “So Clarke tells me you were finance manager and now a florist?”

Lexa nods and there’s a part of her that definitely picks up on the fact that Clarke’s been talking about her – to her mother out of all people. “Yeah,” she nods. “It was the right call for myself and my family.”

“Good for you.” Abby’s pager then goes off and she’s excusing herself from the table. “I would love to stay and chat but work calls.” She hugs Clarke goodbye and kisses Ava on the head before asking for a hug from Mia and getting another handshake from Lexa.

Once Abby is gone, Mia and Ava fall into their own conversation and Lexa turns to Clarke. “How’s your day?”

“It’s been good,” Clarke replies. “Ava wanted to come see her grandma so we can for lunch. How about you? Where’s Aden?”

“With Anya, they’re at the farmer’s market with Bellamy.”

“Are you heading back out there?”

Lexa nods. “We don’t really have anything else planned for the day.”

“Mind if Ava and I join you?” Clarke asks.

“We would love that,” Lexa smiles. She spends the next couple of minutes watching Clarke talk to Ava about what they’re going to do for the rest of the day, and seeing if she was up for it. And of course she is after Mia tells her that she’ll also be going to the farmer’s market.

Lexa can’t help but watch Clarke with Ava. It’s the same story since she’s met the woman. She’s absolutely infatuated and intrigued with everything Clarke does. The overall presence she’s had in Lexa’s life is probably the one thing she was not expecting with this move to Arkadia. But god is it a welcome surprise.

They leave the hospital soon after, agreeing that they’ll give each other a call when they reach the farmer’s market.

“Muuuuum,” Ava calls out. “Can I ride with Mia and Lexa?”

Clarke stutters for a moment, so Lexa nods. “It’s not a problem, if you’re okay with it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Clarke looks down to her daughter and gives Ava’s shoulder a small rub. “I’ll see you soon.”

Ava grins. “Thank you! Love you!”

They say their goodbyes and Lexa is helping Ava and Mia into the car. The drive to the farmer’s market is filled with the two girls in the back singing along to the songs on the radio. When the music comes to a stop, Lexa looks into the rear view mirror and catches Ava attention. “Ever been to the farmer’s market?” she asks.

Ava nods. “They have these jelly donuts that are sooo good.”

“Really?” Ava hums in response. “You’re going to show me exactly where to get these donuts, right?”

“Only if you buy me one too,” Ava responds.

“Me too!” Mia yells.

Lexa laughs. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”  


* * *

 

“So they’re all over at the park now?” Clarke asks. They had just found each other by the entrance of the farmer’s market and started to make their way through the stalls. Ava and Mia walk just in front of them, with her daughter kind of playing tour guide for Mia.

Lexa nods, “I told them that we’ll come over after. Ava promised to show me where the best jelly donuts are.”

“JELLY DONUTS!” Ava calls out. “Lexa said she would buy me one too!”

“Ava, sweetie, you can’t just–”

Lexa places her hand on Clarke’s shoulder and shakes her head softly. “It’s okay,” she whispers. “I’ll buy you one too if you’d like.”

Clarke laughs and ruffles Ava’s hair a little. “They really are the best you’ll ever have.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Lexa smiles.

As they walk through the market area, Clarke introduces Lexa to a few of the stall owners. The farmer’s market is a place she’s always loved and she’s been visiting for as long as she can remember. They give the four of them free samples and Lexa ends up buying a few things from various people.

Surprisingly, Lexa finds a few people she knows running stalls as well. They were all friends of her parents and they talk and ask about the status of the florist. Lexa tells them all about it with such passion and Clarke is just so in awe of the woman by her side. Watching someone talk about something they love is one of the most beautiful things to witness.

Eventually the make it to the stall that sells the jelly donuts and they take their place in the line. It doesn’t take them long before they’re up front and the woman behind the stall (Luna, who Lexa remembers from Rosie and Ben’s birthday party) is greeting them.

“How’s my favourite customer?” Luna smiles, looking right at Ava.

“Lexa hasn’t tried any of your jelly donuts yet,” Ava replies simply.

“Well we got to change that, don’t we?”

Ava nods excitedly.

“Hi, Clarke, Lexa,” Luna greets.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

Lexa points to her daughter, “This is my daughter Mia.”

“Oh yeah, I remember from Rosie and Ben’s party.” Luna looks towards Mia and smiles, “Miss champion of tug-of-war.”

Mia giggles.

“How much would you like?” Luna asks, looking back up to Clarke and Lexa.

Before Lexa gets a chance to respond, Clarke answers. “We’ll take 15.”

“15?” Lexa asks. “That’s a lot.”

Clarke laughs and start to pull out her wallet. “Trust me, the guys back at the park will make us come back and buy some more if we don’t bring them back any.” She hands over the money and just a few moments later they’re being handed a box of the jelly donuts.

“I was meant to pay for them,” Lexa says as the continue on.

Clarke simply shrugs. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to grab?”

Lexa shakes her head. “Should we head over to the park?”

“We should. But first, there’s also some really good lemonade you should try.”

“Lead the way.”

 

Once they all have a bottle of lemonade each (and a couple extras for everyone else), the four of them make their way towards the park. The farmers market and the park use to be a Sunday tradition for Clarke when she was a little kid. It’s probably one of the fondest memories she has and she does her best to try to give Ava the same as much as possible.

Clarke spots their group first. Anya, Raven, Bellamy, Octavia, Lincoln and Monty are sitting around on the grass whilst the kids kick about a football. They approach their circle of friends and immediately get to sharing the jelly donuts. The other kids eagerly join them and the whole group sings praises over the dessert.

“Okay these are pretty good,” Lexa comments.

Raven nods as she finishes chewing on her donut. “Now wash it down with some of that lemonade and you’ll be sent right up to heaven.”

Lexa does exactly this and gives two thumbs up as she puts down the lemonade. The group eases back into the conversation they were having just before and Mia and Ava join Aden, Ben and Rosie in throwing around the football.

A little later Lexa’s takes Lucas out of the pram and walks him around the group, trying to calm him down from crying. Clarke watches out of the corner of her eye, trying to not back it _too_ obvious that she’s staring. But her heart absolutely swells seeing Lexa with Lucas. Lexa smiles and plays peek-a-boo, she hums softly and it definitely works as Lucas ends up smiling along with her.

“Baby whisper, Lexa Woods,” Lincoln laughs.

“Are you available to babysit?” Octavia jokes.

Lexa lets out a small chuckle and returns to sitting with the group, with Lucas on her lap. “He’s just a really good kid.”

“How were Mia and Aden when they were younger?” Raven asks.

“HOY BOY,” Anya sighs, “They were a handful.”

“Really?” Clarke asks, turning to Lexa for confirmation.

Lexa nods. “Mia loved crying at night and Aden loved crying during the day. And like some bond between the two of them they’d sometimes change it up a little so Aden cried at night and Mia cried during the day.”

“The troublesome twosome,” Anya adds.

“I don’t think I slept for the three years they were born,” Lexa jokes, “But I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.” She then looks over to Mia and Aden and smiles.

Clarke actually does the same, she looks over to Ava and smiles too.

“You all make me sick with your parental love,” Raven teases.

Clarke snaps out of her haze and she looks around the group, seeing Lexa staring at her kids, Bellamy at his kids and Octavia and Lincoln looking right to Lucas.

“You love them just as much,” Clarke points out.

Raven shrugs playfully. “Most of the time,” she winks.

 

* * *

 

“What, Clarke!?” Lexa laughs. “How does something like _that_ even happen?”

Clarke blushes and hides her face in her hands. Raven and Octavia are currently throwing her under the bus and sharing all the embarrassing stories from when they were younger. And she can barely defend herself because literally everyone in the group is ganging up on her.

“She was trying to impress a girl,” Bellamy adds.

Lexa rubs Clarke’s back and laughs. “I would think you would have better game than that.”

“My game is just fine, thank you very much,” Clarke defends. She looks over to Lexa and sees the woman wink, causing her blush again.

“Yeah, I’d say her game is pretty fine too,” Raven smirks.

And in that moment, Clarke knows that Raven is hinting at the kiss. She looks over to Lexa and she can tell that Lexa knows that Raven is talking about the kiss too. Part of her feels bad because they never talked about whether or not they wanted their friends to know. So before anyone else can say anything, Clarke stands up and tugs at Lexa to do the same.

“Lexa and I are going for a walk before you embarrass me anymore.”

They both let their kids know that they’re just going to be talking a quick walk and that they’ll be back in no time. So Clarke guides them away from the group in silence. The whole reason why she’s pulling Lexa away is to talk and apologise. She just wants to make sure that she hasn’t put Lexa in an uncomfortable position.

And it’s like Lexa knows that something is on her mind, because once the group is out of sight, Lexa is pulling them towards a bench. “What’s on your mind, Clarke?” she asks.

“Is it that obvious?”

“It’s about Raven’s comment, isn’t it?”

Clarke nods. “I should have told you earlier, but I did tell Raven and Octavia about our kiss. I’m sorry I–”

“Don’t be sorry,” Lexa cuts in. “They’re your friends, that’s what they’re there for. And plus, I told Anya about it too and the only reason she didn’t say anything was probably because Raven beat her to it.”

Clarke’s worries drop like that. Lexa’s always just got this ability to bring absolutely calmness to the moment, and it isn’t in any way forced or awkward. It’s exactly what finds herself needing. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

“I trust you.” Lexa pauses, “Don’t know about Anya though,” she jokes.

Clarke laughs and is totally caught off guard when Lexa reaches forward the holds her hand. She doesn’t miss how this small and simple move sends her up into the clouds. She doesn’t miss the way it all feels so natural. She doesn’t miss how her heart beats a little quicker.

“Just promise me something,” Lexa whispers.

“Anything.”

“When it comes to… _us,_ if there’s something you need to talk about with me, just do so okay?” Lexa says. “No hiding or keeping things in, we do this together… we move together.”

“That sounds perfect.” Clarke smiles.

Lexa stands up from the bench, but keeps holding onto Lexa’s hand. “Come here,” she whispers.

Clarke finds herself standing, with Lexa pulling her into a hug. She all but melts in Lexa’s arms. She closes her eyes and hugs Lexa a little tighter, feeling the woman hug her back as well. They stand in each other’s arms for a while, but as they break apart Clarke finds herself missing being in Lexa’s arms.

But what’s great is that Lexa takes a seat back down on the bench. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

Clarke hums in response and sits right next to Lexa, leaning back and soaking in the moment. “Mia was a sweetheart today, bringing my mum flowers.”

“Yeah,” Lexa whispers. “The kids don’t have the best memories of hospital so it means a lot that Mia came home feeling okay after her visit. I know I don’t really know your mum but I know you, and if she’s anything like you, she’s got to be a pretty amazing woman.”

“She is,” Clarke replies. She can almost feel herself blushing again because Lexa thinks she’s amazing. It is such a crazy good feeling to know that the person she likes, also likes her back. It doesn’t matter how long it takes for them to get there, because she knows that when the time comes it’s going to well worth the wait.

 

* * *

 

The following couple of weeks are great for Lexa. She and the kids have found a really good rhythm in terms of school and their schedules. She’s made friends with a few of the other parents in Mia and Aden’s class, immersing herself into the school community and easing in quite comfortably.

The florist is going really well too. Her parents come down every other weekend to check it out and also visit them. It’s been a while since Lexa’s taken the kids up to the farm so she promises her parents that when the next holidays roll around (which is in about four weeks) they’ll make their way up and spend a couple of nights there.

And she couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to be surrounded by. Being closer to her sister is one of the best things about moving to Arkadia. But along with that, everyone has welcomed her with open arms. Lexa knows exactly how life can be very cruel sometimes, but it sure feels like things have turned for the better. And it only seems like it’s going to get better from here.  

Arkadia _is_ home.

 

* * *

 

“How did I get roped into hosting this backyard experiment fiasco?” Lexa asks. She’s standing by the backyard door, watching as Mia, Aden, Ava, Rosie and Ben sit on the table doing _something_ with Raven.

“You’ve got the biggest backyard,” Clarke replies.

Octavia nods. “Plus the last time Raven did this, we were at Bell’s house and it didn’t end so well.”

“What happened?” Lexa asks. But when she doesn’t get a response, she raises her eyebrow towards Clarke and Octavia.

“No one was hurt,” Clarke reassures. “We may have just scared Bellamy’s neighbours a little. Nothing too serious.”

“So Raven’s experiments are safe… right?”

“It’s Raven…” Clarke replies, like she’s unsure.

Octavia laughs. “I think that’s why Lexa is asking.” She turns to Lexa, “But yeah, it’s safe. She might love her wicked experiments but she loves the kids’ safety more.”

Lexa nods and smiles. She just wants to be sure, and with how their friendship has developed over the time she’s been here, she does trust Raven to do this all safely. Soon enough the three of them step out into the backyard and take a seat at the outside table where Bellamy, Lincoln and Anya are already making conversation.

Lexa watches as the kids all make and decorate their own rockets, made from empty plastic soda bottles. Raven’s told her that she’s going to do a few experiments this afternoon, but the main one would be some [bottle rockets](http://www.science-sparks.com/2012/03/12/making-a-bottle-rocket/) that they’re going to launch with a pump.

“So Raven does this often?” Lexa openly asks around the table.

Octavia nods first. “She’s been pretty busy with work lately but when she does have time, she likes to do experiments with the kids.”

“It’s kind of her thing,” Bellamy adds.

“Because none of us are cool enough to do experiments, according to Ben,” Lincoln laughs.

Lexa laughs as well. “He really said that?”

“Yeah,” Bellamy answers with a grin, “Rosie said it too. So none of us are actually allowed to do experiments without Raven around. Because _apparently_ she’s the only one who can make it cool.”

“ _IT’S TRUE!”_ Raven calls out from the kids’ table. “ _I’M AWESOME!”_

About fifteen minutes later all the kids have their own rockets and Raven is setting up the launch area for them. All she seems to have now is some water and water pump. From where she’s sitting, Lexa can’t really see how everything is set up given that Raven gave them all a fair warning to stand back earlier.

Raven has Rosie standing by the pump first. “ARK STATION, READY FOR LAUNCH?” Raven asks rather dramatically.

“READY!” Rosie yells.

The kids all count down as Rosie presses down on the pump.

“10!”

“9!”

“8!”

“7!”

“6!”

“5!”

“4!”

“AHHHHH!” All the kids scream in excitement as the bottle rocket shoots up into the air. It goes probably as high as the two story house next door before it comes crashing back down.

“That was so cool!” Rosie screams.

Raven high-fives Rosie before looking over to the other kids. “Who’s next?!”

 

* * *

 

Clarke moves inside with Octavia after they watch some of the bottle rocket launches. They move to the kitchen, and she grabs them both a bottle of water. “Where’s your mum talking Lucas again?”

“Just out shopping,” Octavia replies. “She thinks that he doesn’t have enough clothes.”

“You’re not complaining, are you though?”

Octavia shakes her head and grins. “Of course not. Mum can spoil her grandson all she wants.”

Clarke laughs and takes a sip of her water. “What time do you have to pick him up?”

“Linc and I got to leave around 5, she wants to have dinner.” Octavia pauses. “But enough about my son, how are things between you and Lexa?”

“ _Did someone say Clarke and Lexa?”_

Both Clarke and Octavia turn around to see Raven entering the kitchen.

“Don’t worry, Bellamy and Lexa are watching the kids,” Raven says. She grabs the bottle from Clarke’s hand and takes a sip, “So Clarke, how are you and Lexa?”

Clarke rolls her eyes but ends up smiling anyways. “We’re good.”

“Is that all we’re getting?” Octavia asks.

Clarke nods.

“Come onnnnnn,” Raven whine, “Tell us more.”

“There’s nothing to tell really. Things between us are really good.” Clarke smiles and pushes Raven as she makes a gagging gesture. “You’re an asshole,” she jokes.

Raven laughs. “You know I’m kidding. I’m really glad you’re happy, Clarke.”

“So no asking her out yet?” Octavia asks.

Clarke shakes her head. “But we’ll get there. I might be ready to date again, but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t scary as hell for me as well. I think the pace we have now is perfect for us.”

Octavia smiles. “You guys are going to be great together.”

“Yeah, even I have to agree with that,” Raven teases. “But no, I think you guys are going to be pretty great as well.”

Clarke smiles in response but before she can say anything, Ava then comes running into the kitchen, calling for Raven and asking if they can move onto the next experiment. Of course Raven is quick to agree and is out of the kitchen just moments later. Clarke’s just about to follow when Lexa walks into the kitchen. “Hey,” she smiles.

“I’m going to check out this next experiment,” Octavia says slyly. For anyone else it would seem innocent, but Clarke exactly what Octavia is up so she sends a very subtle stares over to her best friend. Octavia definitely picks up on it but doesn’t say anything else before disappearing completely.

“What are you grabbing?” Clarke asks, as she sees Lexa open the fridge.

“Snacks and drips,” Lexa replies. She pulls out a few things from the fridge and puts them on the table. “Do you mind grabbing the crackers from the cupboard by the oven.”

“On one condition,” Clarke smirks.

Lexa raises an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”

“You tell me the secret you have with the kids.”

Lexa laughs and Clarke feels the flutter in her heart at the sound. “You’re still pressed about that?” Lexa asks.

“I definitely am.” And she’s not even lying. There have been a few more moment where she’s tried to ask Ava about it, but her daughter is adamant as ever on keeping it from her. She knows it’s silly, she shouldn’t be caring this much. But part of her is dying to know what reduces Ava into a fit of laughter every time Clarke brings it up.

Lexa shakes her head playfully. “No can do, Clarke.”

“Really?” Clarke asks. She moves to the cupboard and grabs the container of crackers. “I’ll give you these crackers if you tell me the secret.”

Lexa laughs again. “You can’t just flip it like that.”

“I just did.” Clarke shrugs, “So do you want the crackers?”

“I do. But I’m not telling you the secret.”

“Then I’m not giving you the crackers,” Clarke teases. She watches as Lexa picks up the few things on the bench starts to make her way out of the room.

“Okay, but you’re denying my daughter her favourite afternoon snack.”

Clarke places her hand over her heart, “That was a low blow!”

Lexa winks and disappears out of the kitchen. Clarke is grinning ear-to-ear at this point and she makes her way back to everyone else as well.

Like she told Raven and Octavia just earlier, everything with Lexa is going really well. They see each other most days and every time Clarke feels like their relationship is heading in the right direction. It’s a slow and comfortable pace for the both of them. One of the things she’s grateful for is that things did not get awkward between them despite expressing their feelings for each other.

Once she joins them back outside she takes the empty seat next to Lexa and surrenders the crackers. “Can’t believe you used your daughter like that,” Clarke teases.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Lexa winks, takes a cracker and dips in into the hummus.

From here, they all watch Raven and the kids make some ‘[monster toothpaste](http://www.kidspot.com.au/things-to-do/activities/monster-toothpaste-science-experiment?ref=collection_view%2Cscience-experiments)’. Needless to say it’s a bloody mess but the way the kids laugh and smile at the experiment is totally worth it. They’re all so fascinated in how it works and Raven does the best she can to explain what it is that is happening.

Clarke looks around and for a moment and it seems like Ava’s missing from the group. She takes a good look around the backyard, but her daughter still isn’t in sight. It isn’t until she’s looking behind her that she sees Ava standing there and almost slamming her face with some of the monster toothpaste.

“Aunt Raven made me do it!” Ava yells as she runs away.

In the distance she can hear Raven yell, “GO CHEESECAKE!” and Clarke just chuckles as she tries to wipe the mixture from her eyes. Octavia hands her some paper towels but they prove to be ineffective because there’s just so much on her face. Her daughter’s hands aren’t even that big so she’s confused as to how so much of the ‘monster toothpaste’ ended up on her.

Lexa reaches over and places her hand on Clarke’s shoulder. “Come on, why don’t you wash up inside and I’ll grab you a towel.”

Clarke nods. “That sounds great.” She gets up from her chair and makes her way back inside. Clarke walks into the kitchen and hovers over the sink, running the tap and trying to wash the mixture off her face. When she thinks she’s got it all she turns around the see Lexa returning with a towel.

“Did I get it all?” Clarke asks, pointing to her face.

“Not quite…” Lexa whispers.

Clarke does her best to remain still as Lexa walks up to her. The woman doesn’t say anything else but rather brings the towel up to the right side of her face. Clarke finds her breathing becoming uneven as she loses her focus. Lexa is standing so close to her and all she wants to do is lean in and kiss the woman.

But she doesn’t.

Clarke then brings her own hand up and places it over the hand Lexa has on the towel. “Thanks,” she smiles. Neither of them dare to move their hands and Clarke lightly traces her thumb over Lexa’s hand.

Lexa smiles too. “You’re welcome.”

 

* * *

 

The term flies by for Lexa. A couple of weeks after the backyard experiments day, she finds herself at the school on the last day of term 3. There’s still about five minutes till the final bells rings and she finds herself in conversation with a few of the other parents who’s she’s gotten to know since she moved here.

They all talk about how quick the term went and how they can’t believe it’s already late September. The other parents also share what they have planned for the two weeks’ holiday. For Lexa and the kids, she’s keeping her promise to her parents to visit the farm and they'll be driving up the following day. Anya’s coming along as well and they’re all going to spend a couple of days there.

When the final bell rings, Lexa makes her way towards Mia and Aden’s classroom. Usually she’d just wait out in the main courtyard but today she’ll also be taking Ava with her. Lexa’s planned a small dinner for a couple of her friends (Clarke and Ava being two of those people) and Ava has asked if she could come over early.

“Hey Monkey,” Lexa smiles as she gives a quick hug to Mia. She pulls Aden in as well when he’s close enough, “Did you have a fun last day?”

Aden nods excitedly. “I scored a goal at lunch today!”

“You did?”

“Yep,” Aden grins. “And we got all our paintings to take home!”

“I can’t wait to see them.”

“Ava is still coming with us, right?” Mia asks.

Lexa nods. “We’ll give her a moment to say goodbye to her mum and we can go.” Just moments later Ava is running up to them with the widest grin on her face.

“Hello Lexa!”

“Hey Ava.”

“Am I still allowed to come with you?” Ava asks.

“Of course,” Lexa nods. “Why don’t you go say goodbye to your mum first and then we can go.”

Ava nods excitedly and runs off to her mum who is standing by the door. Clarke is still talking to a few other kids and parents, so Lexa stands back and waits until she’s the last one there. It’s not long before the area around them is empty and Clarke is kneeling down and giving Ava a hug.

“You listen to Lexa, okay?” Clarke says to Ava.

Ava nods.

“Okay,” Clarke smiles. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Lexa steps up towards them as they break away from the hug. “Hey,” she greets.

Clarke looks up. “Hey, thanks for letting Ava go with you.”

“It’s no problem.”

“Are you sure you don’t need me to bring anything tonight?” Clarke asks.

Lexa shakes her head and Clarke takes a small step forward. “I’ve got it all covered. All you need to bring is yourself.”

“Okay, well just give me a call if you do need something.”

“I will.”

Clarke gives Ava’s shoulder a small squeeze. “See you soon,” she whispers. She looks back up to Lexa. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

 

* * *

 

Lexa opens the front door and immediately the kids run inside. She told them in the car that they were allowed to spend some time playing Wii, so they were all pretty eager to have the game set up as fast as they could. “Mia, put your bag where it’s meant to go please,” Lexa says as she locks the door.

“Sorry mama!”

Lexa watches as Mia picks up her bag and places it in the corner. Ava does the same and quietly follows Mia back into the living room. Aden as quick as he is, is already turning the TV on and taking the remotes out of the draw.

“Are you guys hungry?” Lexa asks. All three of them fall into a “yes” unison which causes her to chuckle softly.

Aden hands out the Wii controllers. “I’m player 1, Mia you’re 2 and Ava you’re 3.”

“What are we playing?” Ava asks.

“Mario kart!”

Lexa walks away and into the kitchen. Opening up the fridge she quickly decides to give the kids some fruit as an afternoon snack. She slices an apple, peels an orange and cleans a few strawberries for them before taking it into the living room and placing it on the table.

“Thank you Lexa,” Ava smiles.

Lexa strokes Ava’s hair just softly. “You’re welcome.”

Just at that moment there are a few knocks from her front door. When she answers it, she’s surprised to see Raven there. “Hey,” Lexa greets as she steps aside.

“Hey,” Raven replies. “I know I’m early for dinner, but I finished work and figured I could come by and offer some help…?”

“Yeah, I could use an extra pair of hands.”

Raven enters the house and the first thing she does is walk into the living room. “Cheesecake! Squid! Jam tart!” Ava is the first to jump up and hug her Aunt Raven.

Lexa raises an eyebrow. “Jam tart?” she asks.

Raven looks up from hugging Ava, “That’s Aden’s nickname.”

“Jam tart?” Lexa asks again.

Raven nods. “Don’t look at me like that! It’s a good name.”

Lexa laughs. “That’s debatable.”

“Well, Aden likes it.” Raven turns to Aden, “Don’t you?”

Aden nods enthusiastically before returning to the game. Raven stands up and grins, “Come on, let’s make the best dam- the best dinner our friends will ever have.”

“Nice save,” Lexa laughs.

 

* * *

 

Raven puts the salad through the salad spinner and nods. “And that’s how Clarke and I met.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Lexa argues. “It’s so absurd it can’t be true.”

“But it is. We have photos to prove it.”

“Oh my god.”

Raven nods again. “I’ll bring them next time. But don’t tell Clarke otherwise she’ll most likely kill me.”

Lexa laughs. She places foil over the baking tin which now just needs to go into the oven. “My lips are sealed.”

For dinner Lexa is making pasta bake, a side salad, garlic bread and some homemade chips. Now that the pasta bake is in the oven she can start on the chips as Raven prepares the salad.

She’s known Raven for a while now, but this is the first time it’s just been _them_ hanging out. All the other times they’ve had a couple of their other friends with them. But she learns that Raven is good company and the conversation between them doesn’t feel forced or awkward.

“So…” Raven trails off, “Speaking of Clarke, how are things between you two?”

Lexa looks up from peeling the potatoes. “Are we really doing this?”

Raven shrugs lightly, “If you don’t mind me asking. It's just she’s my best friend. She and Ava are my family.”

“They’re lucky to have you,” Lexa smiles. Since moving to Arkadia she’s learnt that Raven is fiercely loyal and protects those she loves with everything she’s got. Everyone needs a _Raven_ in their life.

“They’d be lucky to have you too.”

The comment takes Lexa by surprise and she almost finds herself blushing at the statement. She knows that’s basically Raven’s tick of approval, but it scares her. Her relationship with Clarke has barely taken the first step and it’s all sorts of nervous. Not because she’s unsure or she has any concerns, but because she really likes Clarke. And she wants to make she’s absolutely ready to take that next step because Clarke could definitely be the one.

“I scared you by saying that, didn’t I?” Raven asks.

“No,” Lexa replies honestly. “Just a little surprised. I know you don’t say that lightly.”

Raven nods. “You’re damn right I don’t.”

Lexa continues to peel the potatoes. “How do you know?” When Raven raises an eyebrow, she continues. “How do you that I’ll be good for them?”

“You don’t think you will be?” Raven asks.

“It’s not that,” Lexa replies. “It’s just… I haven’t been with anyone in a long time and when Costia was still here… we were high school sweet hearts. A lot has changed since we were in high school.”

Raven nods. “You’re right, a lot has changed. But it’s not a bad thing and for you guys it’s easy.” She pauses and smiles. “Clarke likes you and you like her.”

“I do really like her,” Lexa nods.

“I know you do,” Raven nods. “And to answer your question, I know you’ll be good for Clarke _and_ Ava because I’ve seen you with them over the past three months. It’s also in the way you look at Clarke.”

“What do you mean?”

“You look at her like she puts the stars in the sky.”

Lexa smiles softly. “That’s very poetic.”

Raven points to Lexa, “If you tell anyone I said that, I will deny it profusely.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Lexa laughs.

“But I’m serious. You have to be the world’s best actor to be able to fake the way you look at her. You probably don’t even notice that you’re doing it.”

Lexa shakes her head. “I don’t.”

“I can tell you this,” Raven whispers, “Clarke likes you a lot and I haven’t seen her like _this_ over someone in a very long time.”

Lexa nods. “I haven’t felt like _this_ in a very long time.”

“I can imagine.”

Lexa moves the peeled potatoes into the sink and starts to clean them. She takes a moment to take in everything that’s been said. If she’s being honest with herself, she thinks she might be ready. The only thing that’s holding her back is the fact that Clarke is still Mia and Aden’s teacher. She doesn’t want to complicate that dynamic they’ve created, especially not after having finally settled into their new home.

“What else are you putting in the salad?” Raven asks.

“There’s a few things in the bottom draw of the fridge,” Lexa replies. “Mind bringing them out and cleaning them?”

“Not at all.” Raven opens the fridge and does as she’s told, moving to wait by the sink as Lexa finishes cleaning the potatoes.

Lexa looks over and smiles. “Thank you, Raven.”

“Anytime.”

 

* * *

 

Dinner is a success with everyone falling back in their chair, completely satisfied from the meal they just had.

“I think I’m going to be full for the next three days,” Lincoln groans.

Bellamy nods. “That was great, Lexa.”

“Thanks guys.”

The kids have long gone and settled in front of the TV and everyone else just kind of lingers between the shared kitchen and dining room. Lexa stands up and starts to clear the table but Octavia is quick to stop her, saying that she’s not allowed to clean up. She doesn’t fight it and let’s Octavia and Anya clear the rest of the table.

“So how was the last day of school for the kids?” Lincoln asks.

“They loved it. Mia was actually a little upset this morning.”

Bellamy laughs. “Oh enjoy it while you can. Rosie and Ben can’t wait for the holidays. I heard you were going up to your parents’ farm?”

Lexa nods. “Yeah, tomorrow,” she replies. “It’s been a while since I’ve taken the kids up so we’re all pretty excited.”

“How long?” Lincoln asks.

“Just a couple of days, we’ll be back Wednesday.”

Lincoln nods. “That’s perfect because we were actually just talking about maybe getting a beach house and going away for a couple of days during the second week of holidays.”

“Think you can get some days off work?” Bellamy asks.

“Me?” Lexa asks, pointing to herself.

Bellamy nods. “Yeah, you, Mia and Aden. If we get enough people it shouldn’t cost too much.”

“Which days were you thinking? And where?”

“Drive up to Falls City on Sunday and come back Wednesday.”

“You should come!” Octavia calls from the kitchen. “The weather is meant to be beautiful those days and there’s also the amusement park there too.”

Lexa looks around the room to everyone. “Is everyone else here going?” Everyone nods, even her sister which definitely surprises her.

“You remember Monty and Jasper from the twins’ birthday?” Bellamy asks.

“Yeah,” Lexa nods.

“They’re probably going to be coming as well.”

After a moment Lexa agrees to it. It’s the holidays and while she still has the florist – she’s sure that her workers will be able to manage without her for another couple of days. Bellamy and Lincoln show her the house and request for the booking at that moment as well. They tell Lexa about the area and what they’re probably going to do and it already sounds like it’s going to be a good trip for them.

 

Later that night Lexa finds herself sitting with Clarke in the backyard. At first Raven and Octavia were with them, but for _some_ reason they both had to go inside and it doesn’t seem like either of them are going to return. She’s not complaining though, because even if it’s just silence between the two of them at the moment, it is a beautiful silence. Just being in Clarke’s presence makes her so happy.

Clarke scoots her chair closer to Lexa’s. She doesn’t say anything or even acknowledges it and it just sends the widest grin onto Lexa’s face. They’re both just looking up at the stars and Lexa remembers what happened last time they were doing this exact same thing.

“You know Raven and Octavia aren’t coming back, right?” Clarke asks.

Lexa laughs softly. “I know. Do you want to go back inside?”

“Not yet.” Clarke turns to Lexa, “Do you?”

Lexa shakes her head. “Do you have any plans for the holidays?”

“Other than the beach house, not really,” Clarke answers. “I usually just see what Ava wants to do.”

Lexa gives a simple hum in response.

“And you’re going to your parents’ farm tomorrow, right?” Lexa nods. “How long has it been since you’ve been there?”

“Too long. They’ve been trying to get me back up there since I moved here.”

“They miss you.”

“They miss Mia and Aden,” Lexa jokes.

“Well I’ll miss you,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa almost doesn’t catch it with how soft the reply was, but she does. She looks over to Clarke who looks a little mortified.

Clarke apologises. “That just slipped before I could stop myself.”

“You don’t need to apologise,” Lexa reassures.

“But it is true,” Clarke says. “I will miss you. We’ve seen each other almost every day.”

Lexa nods. She reaches over and takes Clarke’s hand within her own, intertwining their fingers together. “I will miss you too.”

Clarke doesn’t respond but instead lifts Lexa’s hand up slightly and places a soft kiss on it. Another comfortable silence falls between the two of them as they continue to look up at the stars. Lexa contemplates whether or not she should tell Clarke how she’s feeling – how the one thing that is holding her back is that Clarke is still Mia and Aden’s teacher.

She doesn’t know if it’s a sign or some sheer coincidence that a shooting star just so happens to appear before them. Lexa feels Clarke give her hand a slight squeeze and when the star is gone, they’re turning back to each other.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of those,” Clarke says.

Lexa nods in a response. There’s something about this moment that makes her lose her words. It’s fairly dark where they’re sitting but Clarke’s eye’s just shine through the darkness. “Clarke…” she whispers.

“Yeah?”

Lexa takes a few deep breaths. “I’m ready…” She feels Clarke still for a moment but Lexa continues, “But there’s just one thing that’s kind of holding me back.”

Clarke leans in just slightly and nods. “I’m Mia and Aden’s teacher…” she whispers.

“Yeah,” Lexa breathes. But before she can say anything else, she hears the house door being opened and they both quickly let go of each other’s hand.

“Muuuummmm, I’m tired. Can we go home?” Ava asks.

“Okay Monkey, give me one minute and we can go,” Clarke replies. “Say your goodbyes.”

“Okay.”

Once the door closes Lexa looks back to Clarke. “Don’t apologise.”

“You know me so well,” Clarke smiles. She takes Lexa’s hand back in her own, “I have been thinking about the fact that Mia and Aden are still my students too.”

“You have?”

Clarke nods. “I’ve thought a lot about us and our situation,” she smiles. “And why don’t we just talk about it when you’re back?”

“Yeah,” Lexa replies with a hint of hesitancy in her voice. It’s a pretty open and vague what Clarke has just said and she hates that she’s so concerned about it. She knows that Clarke likes her, but it doesn’t stop her from feeling that little bit of doubt she has.

“My feelings for you haven’t changed, Lexa,” Clarke assures. “And I don’t think they will.”

“You’re too good to me.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Clarke winks.

They both get up from their chairs and start to make their way inside. But before they reach the door, Lexa pulls Clarke in for a hug. She nuzzles herself into the crook of Clarke’s neck and lets out a deep sigh as she feels the other woman tighten the hug. 

Slowly, Lexa breaks away from the hug but moves herself so that her cheek brushes against Clarke’s. She stays there for a moment, her hands coming up to caress either side of Clarke’s neck. Her heart is telling her to just kiss the woman in front of her. But her head is telling her to wait just a little longer.

She falls somewhere in between. Lexa leans up and kisses Clarke’s forehead, lingering for just a second so she can whisper, “Good night, Clarke.” When they’re face to face again, Lexa offers the sincerest smile as she sees Clarke’s eyes flutter open.

“Good night, Lexa.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the kids are now on holidays and everyone spends some quality time together (clarke and lexa especially)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is nearly 12k of pure fluff and love and all that good stuff. happy reading!

For Lexa, Anya and the kids, the farm is home away from home. Spending time here is one of the things Lexa loves doing. This is where she spent her childhood growing up, learning the ways of the farm, enjoying and loving everything the countryside has to offer. There’s something about this place that brings her into a state on absolute peace and contentment. Everything seems to be a lot clearer here. Maybe it’s the openness, the way the lands seem to go on and on and on or maybe it’s just the quiet.

She’s spent the last couple of days with her parents, sister and kids just enjoying each other’s company. Of course her parents have put them to work, but it’s nothing that she can’t handle. These are the flowers that she sells, so being to understand exactly how it gets from _here_ to her store lets her fully appreciate the entirety of it all.

The past couple of days have given her some time to think about Clarke as well. They haven’t spoken since the other night, but it doesn’t worry her. She knows that she is lucky that _this_ is the relationship with Clarke at the moment. Though she hasn’t been with anyone in a long time, Lexa knows that it could have been a very different story.

Everything that’s happened with Clarke has been exactly what she needs. Having moved to Arkadia, the first thing she needed to do was make sure that Mia, Aden and herself settled in and made their new place _home._ The last thing she was expecting during the move was to meet someone like Clarke, someone who she’s developed really strong feelings for.

Clarke has been nothing patient with her and Lexa couldn’t be more grateful to have met the woman. And then there’s Ava, one of the sweetest kids she’s ever met. Lexa hasn’t thought about dating a lot, but with the few times she did she never thought she would end up dating another single parent. It’s a little scary, but she knows she’s ready for it.

 

* * *

 

Clarke walks into the house and drops her bags off to the corner for the time being. They’ve just arrived at the beach house where they’re going to be spending a couple of days. It’s a two story house that’s got these floor of ceilings windows, the rooms are spacious and everything just seems so _perfect._ It’s a pretty grand place.

She continues through to the back patio and marvels at the sight before her. They’re right on the beach and she can see the waves crashing against the shore. And from what Lincoln told her about the area, this little pocket of the beach is basically theirs. It’s going to be a really good couple of days, she can just feel it.

Lincoln sets Lucas in the living room, where Ava soon comes and watches over him while everyone else unloads the car. They’ve brought a lot; most of it being food for the next couple of days. Fortunately, with everyone’s help it doesn’t take them long to have everything in the house.

Octavia comes running down the stairs, “Okay, there a four bedrooms upstairs and two downstairs. Linc and I will take the down stairs master, Bell and the twins will take the other downstairs room.”

Clarke steps towards her bags and picks them up. “Guess that means I’m upstairs?”

Octavia nods. “You’ll get the room with the queen bed, Raven and Anya get the single beds room, Monty and Jasper have the bunk bed room and Lexa gets the master since it’s a king size bed for her and the twins.”

Clarke follows Octavia upstairs with her bags, with Raven right on her tail. Upstairs is just as great as downstairs. There’s a main living area with a flat screen TV and couches, four distinct bedroom doors and a bathroom.”

“One bathroom?” Raven asks.

Octavia shakes her head. “There’s another bathroom in the master bedroom, and I’m sure Lexa won’t mind some of you guys using it too.”

Clarke takes a moment to settle into her room, putting aside her luggage and just making sure everything was okay in the room. It isn’t long before she’s back downstairs and joining her daughter and Lucas in the living room.

“When is Mia going to get here?” Ava asks.

“Soon,” Clarke smiles. “Excited to see her again?”

Ava nods. “Are you excited to see Lexa again?”

The question catches Clarke totally off guard. But after a second she realises that it doesn’t really surprise her. Kids these day are pretty observant even when she’s trying to be subtle. Clarke simply smiles and nods, “Yeah, I am.”

Excited would actually be an understatement though. Lexa came back from her parents’ farm a couple of days ago but they haven’t had a chance to catch up yet – only sharing a small phone conversation just the night before. She’s missed Lexa, there’s no doubt about it. They saw each other almost every day at school, so Lexa definitely became part of her daily routine.

It’s been about a week since she’s seen Lexa and the time away from the woman has just amplified Clarke’s feelings for her. It is very different, these feeling she has. There is that connection and desire between the two of them, but Clarke wants to nurture everything about this relationship and take as much time as they need to make sure it works.

It’s an indescribable feeling that she has, knowing that Lexa is ready. But like Lexa, Clarke does want to be cautious because she is still Mia and Aden’s teacher till the end of the term. Dating Lexa doesn’t mean just dating Lexa. Clarke definitely has to think about Mia and Aden as well, because as a single parent herself she has a pretty good feeling on what’s going through Lexa’s mind at the moment. Not only that, she has to think about Ava as well.  

Her relationship with Lexa is different to the ones she’s had in the past. With the exception of Niylah, none of her previous dates met Ava. But with Lexa, Lexa’s already met Ava and formed a really great bond with her daughter – as has Clarke with Mia and Aden. While this is a good thing, it also means that the stakes are a lot higher. But Clarke knows that it’ll all be so worth it and she’s ready to fight for it all.

 

* * *

 

Everyone else arrives by 4pm. Bellamy, Rosie, Ben, Monty and Jasper all arrive in one car and Lexa, Anya, Mia and Aden in another. Lincoln and Raven all show them to their rooms first, while Clarke and Octavia remain in the kitchen and prepare dinner for everyone.

A couple of minutes later Rosie, Ben, Mia and Aden are all running by the kitchen and saying their hellos before settling in the living room with Ava.

Octavia nudges Clarke, “Excited to see your girl again?” she whispers.

Clarke all but rolls her eyes. “Please don’t say that around Lexa, the last thing I need you doing is scaring her off.”

“Me?” Octavia asks, “Scare Lexa off?”

“Yeah, you and Raven.”

Octavia laughs. “Maybe you should warn Raven.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are.” Octavia pauses and grins. “But you are excited to see her right? Raven said you’ve been mopey for the last couple of days because you haven’t seen each other all week.”

“I was not mopey,” Clarke defends.

“ _You were.”_

Clarke and Raven both turn around to see Raven entering the kitchen with a grin.

“Mopey Clarke,” Raven says. She then makes a few gestures around Clarke’s general direction, “But do you see that Octavia? Now that Lexa’s here there’s this glow to Clarke.”

Clarke just shakes her head. “I hate the both of you.”

“You love us,” Octavia corrects.

Raven nods. “O is right. You love us.”

Clarke doesn’t respond to her friends, moving on with the task at hand. Tonight they’re having burgers, so at the moment they’re working on some home-made patties and a few other side dishes. She continues with dinner, making small talk with Raven and Octavia about the days they have a head for them. It’s not till a couple minutes later that she hears footsteps coming down the stairs, accompanied by a few familiar voices.

“Raven!” Anya calls out. “We’re going for a liquor run.”

“We are?”

“We are,” Anya confirms. She looks over to Clarke and Octavia, “Do you girls want anything in particular?” When both of them shake their head she nods. “Okay I’m going to ask the guys and we can go.”

Clarke watches as Lexa then comes to stand across from the bench she’s currently working from.

“Hey, Clarke,” Lexa smiles. She looks over to Octavia, “Hey. Do you guys need any help?”

“It’s okay,” Octavia replies. “We’re almost done. How’s your week been?”

“Good… Busy… But good nonetheless. How about for you guys?” Lexa asks, looking between Clarke and Lexa.

“Same old same old,” Octavia says. “Glad to get a couple days off though.”

Clarke nods a long to what Octavia’s saying. “Same. Just did a few things for school next term. Nothing too exciting.”

“This weekend should be exciting though, Mia and Aden were super excited for this.”

Clarke raises an eyebrow. “And you?”

“Me too,” Lexa nods with a smile.

It causes Clarke’s heart to flutter and she can’t help but smile in response as well. With Lexa sitting where she is, the three of them fall into conversation about what they had planned for the next couple of days. The plan was to go to the amusement park the following day, then Tuesday would be a complete chill day on the beach, as would Wednesday since that’s the day they’re meant to drive back home.

 

* * *

 

Lexa wakes up the following morning in between Mia and Aden. Neither of them wanted to take the middle position so she drew the short straw. But given it’s a king size bed, there’s more than enough room for them to all sleep comfortably. She looks over to the clock and sees that it’s just past 7am. She knows that they’ve got a long day ahead so she slowly peels herself from under the covers and makes her way down the bed to get a start on the day.

After freshening up she makes her way downstairs. It’s so quiet and she just assumes that she’s the first to wake. Once she reaches downstairs, she starts to pull back the curtain to let the light in. She then proceeds to the kitchen to see what she can do to get a start on breakfast for everyone. The easiest thing for this many people would probably be bacon and eggs, so that’s exactly what she starts to make.

While she’s waiting for the pan to heat up, Lincoln stumbles into the kitchen and goes for the coffee immediately. “Morning,” he whispers. “Coffee?”

“Yes please.”

Lincoln offers a hand with the food and they work together in a comfortable silence. Lexa’s known him for a while now, basically considers him a brother. Before she moved to Arkadia, they didn’t see each other often because they were always so busy with work. But now that she’s a lot closer to him, it’s been just a really good time building further upon their relationship.

While Lexa is cooking the bacon, Lincoln is scrambling half the eggs and leaving the remaining half to cook sunny-side up.

“So when should we leave today?” Lexa asks.

“10?” Lincoln answers. “The amusement park is only fifteen minutes away.”

“Have you ever been?”

Lincoln shakes his head. “I heard that they recently renovated too, so it should be good.”

 

Breakfast goes by with a little chaos, considering the number of people between the kitchen and dining room. But everyone manages to eat, the kids are excited for the day and there’s just a certain buzz that carries through the morning that tells Lexa that it’s going to be a good day.

After breakfast, Lexa returns to her room and starts to shift through Mia and Aden’s clothes, pulling out an outfit for them each. Both of her kids are in the bathroom currently brushing their teeth and freshening up.

“ _Ready?”_

Lexa looks over to the door to see Anya standing there, dropping her bag and looking as if she’s all ready to go. “Almost,” she replies. “Mia! Aden! Are you done yet?”

Aden comes out of the bathroom first, grinning. “All ready.”

Anya picks up Aden’s clothes and throws it towards him. “Get change Jam Tart!”

Aden runs off in the bathroom just as Mia is walking out. He shuts the door and Mia is over, ready to get changed as well. As Lexa helps Mia change, she looks over to Anya, “Jam Tart? Really?”

Anya shrugs. “It’s a nice nickname.”

“No it’s not.”

“I like it,” Mia adds.

Lexa laughs. “Of course you do.” Once Mia is ready, she’s running downstairs to find Ava and Aden is following close behind to go put on his shoes. Lexa cleans up the slight mess that’s left behind and quickly gathers a few things to put into her backpack.

“Sleep well?” Anya asks.

“I didn’t wake up with Aden’s feet in my face,” Lexa laughs, “So yeah, it was good. You?”

“Other than Raven’s incessant snoring, yeah.”

“ _I DO NOT SNORE!”_ Raven yells as she just so happens to walk past. She pops her head into the room, “You should be honoured to share a room with me.”

“In your dreams, Reyes.”

Raven sticks out her tongue but leaves just a moment later. Lexa watches as Anya’s gaze adverts from the door and notices that her sister is smiling, like really smiling. It’s not that Anya doesn’t smile, it’s just that it’s a smile that Lexa knows means a little something more.

“What?” Anya asks.

Lexa shakes her head. “Nothing.”

“Oh don’t give me that, I know that look. You want to say something.”

“You like her,” Lexa says.

“Who?”

Lexa motions her head towards the door and smirks. She knows she doesn’t have to say anything else for her sister to get the message.

“Raven?” Anya laughs. “No she’s… she’s Raven.”

Lexa raises an eyebrow and laughs. She doesn’t say anything more, but continues with packing her things for the day.

“I don’t like her _like that,”_ Anya continues.

Lexa throws her hands up in the air, “Hey I’m not saying anything.”

“You said something and I know how you think.”

Lexa just chuckles again but doesn’t respond. She packs the last of her things, zips her bag and throws it over her shoulder. She stands by the door, “Let’s go,” she says to Anya.

Anya lets out an audible huff. “I hate you.”

“You love me,” Lexa grins. She waits until Anya is out of the room before locking it, and making their way downstairs.

By the time they’re downstairs, all the kids have their shoes on and everyone else seems to be locking up the house. Doors are locked and double checked, water bottles and snacks are packed, and the kids are chased into the car.

 

* * *

 

They take three full cars to the amusement park, each one of them following the other. It’s a fairly quick ride and when they arrive, the placing is already buzzing with visitors. Once they all make their way in, they all grab wristbands for the kids – writing down an emergency contact number just in case they get lost through the crowd.

Because they are a group of 15, they figured it would be best to split up and do their own thing. Octavia and Lincoln take Lucas to catch a show. Monty, Jasper, Bellamy, Rosie, Ben and Aden run off to start lining up for the biggest rides. And that leaves Clarke with Ava, Raven, Anya, Lexa and Mia.

“What should we do first?” Clarke asks.

“COTTON CANDY!” Ava yells. “COTTON CANDY! COTTON CANDY!”

“We can get some when we see the kart,” Clarke replies.

“Why don’t we just start walking?” Raven suggests. “We’ll just see where it takes us.”

Clarke nods. “Sounds good with me.”

So the group starts to make their way through the crowd. There are people left, right and centre. Bubbles, balloons and music fills the air as the smell of buttery popcorn and soft pretzels does too.  They end up in the games and activities section and Mia and Ava seem to spark up into another level of excitement.

The first game they stop at is the one where players aim a water gun at a target to try and get their car to the end of the finish line. Clarke lifts Ava onto the stool, Lexa does the same with Mia and Raven and Anya also take a spot to play.

“Ready to lose Aunt Raven and Anya?” Ava yells.

“Oh Cheesecake, you’re not going to beat us!”

Ava grins. “Do you want a bet?”

“Alright feisty,” Clarke laughs, patting her daughter’s shoulders. “Let’s show them what you got.”

“Kids versus adults,” Mia announces. “And we’re going to win!”

“It is on!” Raven calls back.

Clarke watches as the game start and all the players aim their water guns at the target. The cars up on the board begin to make their way towards the right and she notices that Mia and Ava’s car are just slightly ahead of the others. “Go girls!” she yells. “You’re doing so good!”

“This game is so rigged,” Raven mumbles after realising she’s coming second last.

Lexa laughs. “Only losers blame the game.”

“Whatever, Woods.”

Less than a minute later Ava is screaming and yelling as she takes first place, with Mia just as happy that she got second. Clarke hugs her daughter from behind and kisses her cheek. “Well done baby girl.”

The game host then gets them to choose their prizes. Ava ends up grabbing a stuffed monkey and Mia gets a rather adorable stuffed puppy. Raven graciously admits defeat, but just for a minute because she soon spots another game and demands a rematch.

For a genius, Raven kind of sucks playing these games. At first Clarke thought Raven was just letting the kids win, however it soon becomes apparent that she isn’t when she loses for the third time in a row. Clarke doesn’t say anything though, knowing very well that Ravens’ doing this more so for the kids. Plus, Raven probably doesn’t mind a little embarrassment at the hands of Mia and Ava.

After a few more games and winning a few more toys, Clarke finds herself watching Raven and Anya play against each other in a game of hoops. Raven, not surprisingly, loses again.

Lexa comes to stand beside her, “What do you say, Clarke? Up for a game?”

“Me?”

Lexa nods. “Why should the kids have all the fun? Scared you’re going to lose?”

“Yeah,” Clarke replies honestly. But the way Lexa chuckles she figures she can also go through a little embarrassment if it meant spending some extra time with her. “But you know what?” Clarke takes out her wallet and pays the game host before Lexa can say anything. “It’s on.”

Steven (the game host) quickly tells them rules. Basically, they have to get three for three in order to win one of the bigger prizes. There are two hoops, so Clarke and Lexa both step up at the same time and get ready to take their shots.

“Go mum!” Ava calls out.

Mia cheers too, “YAY MAMA!”

Clarke is more interested in watching Lexa take the shot than doing it herself. There is something gracious about the way Lexa throws the ball. She knows it’s silly, but she’s intrigued and she welcomes it whole heartedly.

Lexa throws her last ball and she makes the shot, making it three for three. Clarke smiles and congratulates her before turning to look at the hoop. And she’s sure that the hoop somehow has been pushed even further away from her. She’s completely missed the first two throws and she’s sure she’s going to miss this one too.

“I concede defeat,” Clarke mumbles.

“Oh no, you can’t give up. I believe in you,” Lexa replies.

Clarke feels Lexa come stand behind her, guiding her hands and ball up just so that it’s infront of her face.

“Don’t think too hard,” Lexa whispers. “Just shoot.”

Lexa’s whispers into her ear and Clarke feels her heart beating in her throat. Lexa’s hands hold hers with such care and gentleness, it gives her butterflies. She’s speechless and she thinks that she’s going to fail even more now. After a second, Clarke nods and takes the shot.

She misses.

“I don’t like this game,” Clarke says as she turns to Lexa.

“You gave it your best, that’s all that matters.”

Clarke laughs and watches as Lexa is given a large stuffed teddy bear. When she thought Lexa couldn’t be anymore sweet, Lexa is handing the bear over to a little girl just beside them. At first the girl says that it’s okay, that she was just complimenting the bear but Lexa insists. They’ve got enough toys already.

Having decided that they’ve had enough of the games, they all make their way towards the rides. Mia and Ava are quick to decide which ones they want to go on and Lexa gets them to the tokens they need. It’s just kids rides in this area so Clarke, Raven, Lexa and Anya stand by and watch them enjoy themselves.

During this time, Lexa also gives Bellamy a call just to check up on Aden. Earlier in the day, Lexa told Clarke that Aden loves the bigger rides, especially ones that go up really high. Clarke thinks it’s crazy, mainly because she hates heights. But to each their own.

Some time later Clarke and Lexa are waving goodbye to Mia and Ava as Raven and Anya take them through the haunted house. There’s still quite a line before they’re going to get in, so Clarke and Lexa make their way to an empty bench with some snacks they brought to share. She sits across from Lexa and they open their food.

“Haunted houses aren’t your thing?” Lexa asks.

Clarke shakes her head. “I had a bad experience in like year 7…” She pauses and regrets revealing that because Lexa is now looking at her and just waiting for her to share the story. “I went in and I don’t think I even made it halfway before I had to use an emergency exit to get out. I was crying so much.”

Lexa places her hand over her heart. “Aw no.”

“Yeah,” Clarke nods. “It wasn’t a pretty sight. It put me in a sour mood for the rest of the day.”

“So you’ve never been in one since?”

Clarke shakes her head. “What about you?”

Lexa smiles. “Oh I love haunted houses.”

“Why didn’t you go in with them?” 

“And miss spending some time with you?”

Clarke chuckles softly and instantly feels herself blushing.

“You’re going a little red there,” Lexa teases.

“Shut up,” Clarke laughs. She covers her cheeks with her hands but grins anyways. “You make me feel like a teenager with a crush again, it’s ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous?”

Clarke nods. “Yes, ridiculous. I’m a grown woman, I shouldn’t be getting giddy over the fact that you gave up going into a haunted house to spend some time with me.”

Lexa raises and eyebrow playfully, “But you are…”

“I am,” Clarke smiles.

“Well know that you have the exact same effect on me.”

Clarke reaches across the table and slips her hand into Lexa’s. She lets out a small, content sigh. “Let’s talk tonight?”

“Yeah,” Lexa nods. “I’d like that.”

Clarke gives Lexa’s hand a reassuring squeeze. They don’t let go of each other’s hands as the conversation carries forward. Lexa opens up a map of the amusement park to figure out where they were going to go from here. The food stalls are just up ahead, there’s a few shows they could catch as well and to end the day they might head over to the Ferris wheel.   

 

* * *

 

After buying food to share, the group finds a space to settle down for the moment. Lexa, being the most prepared of them all pulls out a picnic blanket she has packed in her backpack. It’s not even a couple minutes later that everyone else comes to join them as well.

Lexa scoots over as Aden comes to sit beside her. “Hey champ, hungry?”

Aden shakes his head. “Bellamy bought us some food already. He said we have to rest a little before riding on anymore of the rides.”

“He’s right,” Lexa replies. “We don’t want you getting sick now. Having fun so far?”

Aden nods excitedly. “Do you remember the big drop we saw when we came in?”

“You went on that?” Lexa asks.

“TWICE, IT WAS SO COOL!”

Lexa ruffles Aden’s hair. “So what else did you ride on?” she asks, as she continues with her food. Aden continues to share what rides they’ve been on and what else they want to do before the day ends. Mia and Ava also show off the prizes they won to everyone, highlighting the fact that they beat Raven and Anya in a multitude of games. No one is surprised that Raven lost so badly.

Lexa listens to everyone share what they’ve been up to and what they plan on for the rest of the day. Once they all decide on a time to go home and what they were going to do for dinner, most of the group go their separate ways again.

 

For Lexa and her group, there’s a magician show that they decide to catch. It’s still fairly early to go, but they make their way to the relevant stage to get the best seats they can. The area is set up so that there’s an open area for the kids to sit on and benches line back from there. Lexa sits with Clarke, Raven and Anya whilst Mia and Ava sit up front in the open area.

Lexa watches Mia and Ava chat among themselves. She’s too far away to hear what they’re saying but they keep looking back at her and giggling. She raises an eyebrow which she knows they see, but they continue to giggle amongst themselves.

She nudges Clarke slightly, “I think our kids are up to something.”

Clarke looks over and hums in response. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

They both continue to watch Mia and Ava, and the kids continue to watch them back. It goes on for a good couple of minutes and Lexa continues to find it amusing. She’ll ask them about it later, considering that the magician soon takes the stage to start the show.

The show is definitely more so for the kids. Lexa doesn’t really pay much attention, more interested in watching the kids in front of her enjoy themselves. They’re all laughing, smiling and cheering along and it’s a sight that warms Lexa’s heart entirely. There’s something magical about being able to watch kids be kids.

About half an hour later, the show ends. But there’s another show set to play in about fifteen minutes, so they stick around for it. Mia and Ava come back towards them, but end up standing in front of Raven and Anya. They both give mischievous looks towards herself and Clarke, before stepping in and whispering something to their aunts.

“They’re definitely up to something,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa hums in response and just continues to watch. Ava and Mia are both whispering to Anya and Raven, who are nodding along with everything they say. And she knows, by the way Anya smirks towards her that there is something going on – something that’s probably going to take her by surprise.

“And knowing Raven and Anya they’re not going to tell us,” Clarke continues. “Mia and Ava definitely won’t say anything either.”

“Until they have to.”

Clarke laughs. “Yeah, definitely.”

When Mia and Ava are done talking to Anya and Raven, Lexa calls them over. She tucks Mia’s hair behind her ear, “So you going to tell me what you and Ava are giggling about?”

Mia shakes her head. “It’s a secret.”

“What about you Ava?” Lexa asks.

Ava shakes her head as well, grinning from ear-to-ear. “You will know later.” She turns towards her mum, “You will know later as well.”

“I will?” Clarke asks, placing her hand over her heart.

Ava nods. “But for now it’s a secret.” She turns towards Anya and Raven, “Secret.”

Both Anya and Raven pretend to zip their lips.

 

* * *

 

After the second show ends the group makes their way towards the Ferris wheel. They take their time though, stopping by a few stalls, buying a few show bags and playing a few more games. By now it’s just past 4:30pm and they just have enough time to line up for the Ferris wheel before they’re due to go home.

It’s six to a kart so they have the perfect number of people for the wheel. The line moves relatively fast and there’s just a few people in front of them now. Lexa stands there, holding onto Mia’s hand as the six of them make idle chat to pass the time.

Just as they approach the front of the line, Mia lets go of her mum’s hand. “Mama, I need to go toilet.”

“Me too,” Ava says.

Lexa nods. “Okay, we’ll just step out of line–”

“No!” Mia calls out rather dramatically.

Lexa raises an eyebrow but before she can say anything, Anya steps forward, “I’ll take them both, you guys ride the wheel. We’ll meet you when the ride is over.”

“Are you sure?” Lexa asks.

Anya nods. “I’m sure.” She looks over to Raven, “You’re coming with me.”

“Okay.”

It takes Lexa by surprise by the way Raven obliges so easily but she doesn’t get a chance to question it before Anya and Raven and pulling Mia and Ava out of the crowd.

“ _HAVE FUN ON THE RIDE!”_

_“SEE YOU WHEN IT’S OVER!”_

“NEXT!” the ride operator calls out.

Lexa turns back to Clarke, “I guess it’s just us.” When she sees Clarke smile, Lexa heads into the kart first. Clarke comes to sit beside her and the operator closes the door. The Ferris wheel slowly goes up, occasionally stopping to pick up other people for the other karts.

“It’s not a coincidence that Mia and Ava just so happened to need to go toilet before the ride, is it?” Clarke asks.

And it all seems to click for Lexa as well. “I guess not,” she laughs. “I’m not complaining though.”

Clarke grins. “I’m not either.”

The Ferris wheel starts moving again and they both take a look out the window. They’ve got a bird’s eye view of the entire amusement park and it is quite the sight. Lexa looks around and spots all the places where they’ve been already.

The Ferris wheel comes to a pause when they’re at the top. Lexa continues to take in the sight before her when she feels Clarke’s arm wrap around her shoulder.

“Is this okay?” Clarke whispers.

Lexa turns and smiles. “Yeah,” she replies. She scoots over a little closer and leans into the embrace.

“I had a great day today,” Clarke replies.

“Me too.” Lexa closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath. Everything about this moment is perfect in her books, it feels so right to be in Clarke’s arms, it just feels _so right_ with Clarke in general. “Remind me to thank Mia and Ava for giving us this moment.”

Clarke laughs.

“Also remind me to kill Anya and Raven for being in on it though,” Lexa adds.

“I’ll help you hide the bodies.”

The ride continues and they sit comfortably by each other’s side. It’s not long after that Lexa reaches for Clarke’s free hand, intertwining their fingers together. Even after all this time she still gets butterflies whenever she’s with Clarke.

The Ferris wheel comes to another stop when they’re back at the top. Clarke presses her lips towards Lexa’s temple and lets out a small breath. “What I would give to live in this moment forever,” Clarke breathes.

Lexa smiles and closes her eyes again. “Soon,” she whispers. And she means it, she wants this. Clarke’s come into her life at the most unexpected time but a welcome surprise it has been.

“Soon,” Clarke whispers back.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, all the kids are asleep by 10pm. They were all so tired after coming back from the amusement park and decided to all make camp in the living room. Most of the others call it an early night as well.

Clarke sits out on the back patio with Raven and Anya. They’ve just been sitting and chatting for the past half an hour but all Clarke can really think about is talking to Lexa. She looks back into the house and sees Lexa and Octavia washing up the last of the dishes. She’s also pretty tired from the day, but hopes that they’ll be able to pick up where they left off before.

“We know what you guys did,” Clarke says to Raven and Anya.

“Whatever do you mean?” Raven smirks.

Clarke chuckles softly. “You know exactly what I mean.”

Anya leans over towards Raven, taking a sip of her beer. “I think she means us ditching her on the Ferris wheel.”

“Ohhhh,” Raven gasps, “ _That.”_

“Yes, _that,”_ Clarke confirms.

Raven throws her hands up in surrender, “That was all Mia and Ava’s idea. We were just playing along.”

Clarke pauses for a second, looks back to Lexa and grins when Lexa waves. Turning back to Raven and Anya she asks, “Do you think Mia and Ava know?”

“About you and Lexa?” Raven asks.

Clarke nods.

“Yes,” Anya answers. “Or they atleast know something is up. Anyone with eyes can see the fireworks between you two.”

“Is it really that obvious?” Clarke asks.

“Is the sky blue?” Raven counters.

Clarke lets out a small sigh and slumps back into the chair.

“It’s not a bad thing,” Raven says. “If anything they both seem pretty cool with the idea that you and Lexa could be a thing.”

Anya nods. “Plus Aden loves you as well.”

Clarke smiles at the remark, then hears the door behind her opening. Octavia is stepping out towards them and in the background Lexa still seems to be doing something.

“Go talk to her,” Raven suggests.

Clarke nods. “Yeah, I’m going to go do that.” She finishes the rest of her drink before saying goodnight to her friends and heading inside. When she’s inside she makes her way towards the kitchen leans against the bench. “Hey,” she whispers.

Lexa turns towards her, “Hey.” She turns back, closes the tap and dries her hand on the towel. Clarke is in deep because she can’t help but stare and think that everything Lexa does is just fucking magical. She’s in so deep and she’s sure that she doesn’t want to be ever pulled out.

“Hey…” Clarke whispers again. “If you’re not too tired, maybe we can have that talk now?”

Lexa nods. “Yeah, I’d like that. Where should we go?”

“Your room?” Clarke suggests.

Lexa smiles in response and the two of them make their way out of the kitchen. Before reaching the stairs they check on the kids in the living room just once more, and when they see that they’re all still fast asleep they make their way up to Lexa’s room.

Once in the room, Clarke closes the door behind her and she feels like her heart is in her throat. She sees Lexa flick on the bedside lamp which she takes as her queue to switch off the main light. Lexa takes her right side of the bed and sits up with her back against the headboard. She pats the empty spot beside her, “Care to join me?” she asks playfully.

“I would love to,” Clarke replies as she makes her way over. She ends up sitting with her legs crossed and facing Lexa instead. Silence falls between the two of them and they just share a small smile, enjoying the comfort they bring to each other whenever the other is around.

Lexa makes the first move by reaching forward and holding Clarke’s hand within her own. Lexa’s touch is soft and gentle and Clarke feels like she could melt into the mattress. It’s a simple move, but it’s enough to settle the slight nerves. She knows that whatever it is she’s feeling, Lexa is more than likely feeling it too. Clarke knows she isn’t alone in this and that’s quite comforting.

“I missed you this past week,” Lexa whispers.

“Well we basically spent the day together and you’re going to be spending the next two days with me, so I’m sure you’ll get sick of me soon.”

“Not possible.”

Clarke smiles. “I missed you too, Lexa.” She doesn’t really know what to say next, do they continue with the small talk? Or does she jump right into what she wants to talk about? To be honest, Clarke thinks that she might be good with either of them because spending anytime with Lexa is a good time in her books.

“Did you mean it?” Clarke asks quietly, “When you said that you were ready?”

“I did.”

Clarke gives Lexa’s hand a small squeeze. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.”

“I think I do because I feel the same.”

Clarke’s heart is basically singing with joy at the moment. It’s such a new and refreshing to feel like this, to know that the person you like also likes you back. She’s been in relationships where there’s been miscommunications and games, where it’s just been one thing after another. But this time, it really starts to seem like a classic story of girl meets girl. But she does know that they do still have a few things to talk about.

“But Mia and Aden…” Clarke whispers.

Lexa nods and tightens the grip around their hands slightly. “You are definitely part of the reason why they’ve settled in so well...” she whispers. “And I just don’t want to do anything that might disrupt that – and I’m not saying that our… relationship would be disruptive. I just… what I’m trying to say is that…” Lexa trails off again and pulls her hand away from Clarke’s to rub her face.

Clarke reaches forward again, taking Lexa’s hand back in her own. “Hey, it’s okay. I know what you’re trying to say.”

“You do?” Lexa asks quietly.

Clarke nods. “Us… dating will definitely cause a shift and while I know it won’t be a bad shift, it’s still a shift. You, Mia and Aden have finally found home in Arkadia…”

“We have.”

“And you want to give them some time to enjoy some… normalcy before having them go through another shift,” Clarke says.

Lexa hums in response. “They look up to you and adore you. I just want to give them more time to enjoy that before it moves further than that.”

“Do you think that it will? Move further?” Clarke asks. And when Lexa gives her a shocked and almost worried expression she realises that her question may have come off not the way she intended. “Sorry,” she whispers. “I think that too. I just didn’t want to say anything yet because I thought it would be way too early.”

“What I think… what I know…” Lexa corrects, “Is that I haven’t felt like this about anyone in a long time, Clarke.”

“Me too.” Clarke pauses and brings Lexa’s hand to her lips, placing a few soft kisses onto it. “So we wait just a little longer?” she asks.

Lexa nods. There’s another moment of silence before she speaks up again. “Do you know what year you’ll be teaching next year?”

Clarke grins. “I do actually. Next year I’ll be teaching year 6.”

“Which means you won’t be Mia and Aden’s teacher anymore…”

“Yeah,” Clarke nods. “Does that mean if I ask you out after term 4 ends, you’ll say yes?” With the way Lexa smiles in response, she’s got her answer and it gives her the butterflies. It’s not a surprise anymore that Lexa’s got this affect over her but she doesn’t care. She’s so fucking happy right now.

That happiness just soars through the roof the moment she realises what’s happening next. Lexa is leaning in and without a second thought Clarke is meeting her halfway. Their lips connect in a soft kiss, each of them taking their time to reconnect. Clarke scoots herself a little closer, bringing her hand to cup the side of Lexa’s face. They kiss for a few moments longer, lips moving, hearts pounding, and everything else around them disappearing as they both fall into the moment.

When the kiss ends, Clarke’s hand doesn’t move from Lexa’s face. She rests their foreheads together and just smiles.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since our first kiss,” Lexa whispers.

“Me too. And I wouldn’t be opposed to another one…”

Lexa pulls back and raises an eyebrow. “Now or…”

“Now,” Clarke answers as she leans in again. Her lips graze Lexa’s, “Now and whenever you want really…” she whispers. She closes the distance between them and they’re kissing again. It’s different to the kiss they shared, there’s a little push and pull, a little more desire and _want_ poured between the two of them.

 

* * *

 

Lexa wakes up and she becomes aware of two things. First, it’s the middle of the night. And secondly, she isn’t alone in her bed. When she realises that she’s spooning Clarke her breath stills. Clarke is asleep and she doesn’t really remember how they got here. The last thing she remembers is that they were talking about college… but they must have both ended up falling asleep.

But Lexa doesn’t miss the way it feels to hold Clarke like this. She hasn’t shared a bed with anyone since Costia, and it doesn’t feel wrong. Lexa feels safe, she feels content. She closes her eyes and takes a few deep (soft) breaths. What draws her out of her moment is Clarke stirring awake and flinching as she too realises what must have happened.

“It’s okay,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke apologises and turns around to face Lexa. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” She slowly sits up and rubs her face, “I should go back to my room.”

Lexa finds herself reaching for Clarke’s hand. “You don’t have to,” she replies. “It’s just sleep.”

“You and I both know it’s a little more than that.”

Lexa lets out a small sigh. She sits up and pulls Clarke in so that she can kiss the top of Clarke’s forehead. “Maybe… You don’t have to stay, but you don’t have to go either.” She falls back onto the mattress, closing her eyes and letting Clarke decide. She finds herself wanting Clarke to say because it feels pretty good to be able to share a bed with someone she really cares for.

“I just don’t want to push or move things too quickly.”

“For me? Or for you?” Lexa asks.

Clarke lets out a small breath. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Lexa manages a small nod. “I won’t ever lie to you, Clarke.”

“Okay,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa waits a few more moments before Clarke is falling back on the mattress. She returns to her previous position and Lexa moves closer. She pulls the covers back over them and wraps her arm around Clarke. “Good night, Clarke.”

“Good night, Lexa.”

 

* * *

 

Clarke wakes up feeling more content than ever. It takes her a second to remember where she is, but when she does she lets herself feel everything about the moment. Lexa’s arm is wrapped around her stomach, she can feel the even breaths of Lexa behind her and there is this absolute warmth about the moment.

She misses this.

She misses cuddling with someone at the end of the day and being able to wake up next to someone in the morning. And god does it feel so right with Lexa.

Clarke brings her fingers to give her eyes a slightly rub. But her movement must have woken up Lexa, as the woman behind her pulls her in closer.

“Morning,” Lexa mumbles.

Clarke turns over so that she’s facing Lexa. She smiles. “Morning.” Lexa still has her eyes closed, but the woman has a slight smile that tells her she’s probably feeling the same thing Clarke is feeling right now.

“How did you sleep?” Clarke whispers.

Lexa’s eyes flutter open and Clarke’s heart all but melts at the sight. “Pretty well. You?”

“Me too.” She pauses and tucks a few loose hair strands behind Lexa’s ear. “I should go and check on the kids.”

Lexa gives a slight nod. “Thank you for staying with me.”

Clarke props herself on her elbow slightly before leaning down and kissing Lexa softly. It’s a tender moment as Lexa cups either side of Clarke’s face. Their lips move slowly, as one, letting each of them take in the moment completely. Lazy morning kisses might be her new favourite thing. Clarke pulls back and places on last kiss on Lexa’s forehead, “I’ll see you downstairs.”

She sees Lexa nod and makes her way towards the door. What she would do to be able to stay in bed with Lexa for a little while longer, but she knows other people in the house will start waking up soon and she doesn’t need for them to be questioning her about why she was in Lexa’s room so early.

Clarke makes her way downstairs to find Bellamy and Lincoln in the kitchen, with Octavia, Raven and Lucas out on the patio. She says good morning to the guys, grabs herself a cup of coffee and notices that the kids are still sprawled out across the living room, asleep. Clarke heads towards the back door, sliding it opening and saying good morning to her friends.

She thought it was going to be a chill morning, a quiet and casual moment with her friends. But boy is she wrong, because the moment she takes a seat Raven getting right to the point.

“So you weren’t in your room this morning,” Raven says.

Clarke’s eyes widen immediately. She loses her ability to reply because she thought no one would have noticed, but she should have known that Raven was going to find out one way or another.

Octavia turns to Clarke, “What do you mean you weren’t in your room?”

“I mean…” Raven continues, “I went to see if I could grab face wash and Clarke wasn’t in her room. And her bed didn’t look like it was slept in.”

“What?” Octavia asks.

Raven nods and hums in response. “I checked everywhere for you… everywhere besides Lexa’s room.”

“No way!” Octavia gasps. “You were with–”

“Shhh,” Clarke cuts in. She lets out a small sigh, but as she replays the night before she can’t help but smile. “Yes,” she whispers, “I did end up sharing a bed with Lexa last night.”

Raven’s jaw all but drops to the floor. “Tell us more.”

“We were talking about us… she told me she was ready to start dating again…”

“Why do I sense a ‘but’ coming?” Octavia asks.

Clarke takes a sup of her coffee. “But, we’re going to wait a little bit longer.”

“Because you’re still Mia and Aden’s teacher?” Raven asks.

Clarke nods. “Lexa said that they’ve settled in nicely and I can see that too. And she just wants to give them some more time before giving them something else to think about.”

Octavia nods along and with Lucas on her lap, she moves him slightly. “And you’re okay with that?”

“Yeah, I am.” Clarke pauses. “Taking things slow feels like the right thing to do.”

“Is ending up in her bed your definition of slow?” Raven asks.

“We didn’t mean to.” She pauses again and takes another sip of her coffee. She decides not to say anything about how they woke up in the middle of the night and how she could have left to go back to her own bed. Clarke is glad she stayed, because waking up next to Lexa has made her entire morning. She smiles. “But waking up to her felt fucking amazing.”

Octavia smiles as well. “If you’re happy, we’re happy.”

“I am happy,” Clarke replies.

 “Just imagine how happy you’ll be when you’re finally together,” Octavia points out.

There’s a flutter in Clarke’s heart because she can’t really imagine it. She’s so happy now and it’s hard to believe that she can get happier than this. But it’s surely to come considering that her and Lexa are still moving forward with their relationship.

 

* * *

 

After lunch everyone is making their way down to the beach. With the lifeguard patrol not too far away, the take the short walk to where it’s safe to swim. It’s a nice day out, not too hot, with a couple of clouds in the sky to provide some shade while they’re outside. 

Once everyone drops their towels and bags, half the group runs straight into the water. Lexa finishes applying sunscreen on Mia, Aden and herself before jumping into the water too. It’s absolutely freezing at first, with Lincoln splashing her the moment she’s close enough. Of course she gets her revenge, with the help of her own kids who chase after their uncle.

Some of the kids have their body boards out and are riding the waves that roll through. Lexa helps Aden and he picks up on it quite quickly, which is definitely impressive considering this is his first go. Anya’s cheering for him too, and eventually grabbing her own board to see who they can ride the waves better.

It’s a great time in the water. Lexa occasionally grabs the board herself, chases Mia and Ava and sometimes just sits the best she can and immerses herself in the water. Sometimes she’ll look back to the group on the sand where Clarke, Octavia, Lucas and Monty where all relaxing and in their own little world. 

A little while later Ava is the first to head back to the sand. Lexa says that she’ll go to, considering she’s had enough of the water for the time being. They’re actually pretty far out so Lexa kneels down and calls for Ava to hop on her back. “Hold on tight,” Lexa says.

Ava wraps her arms around Lexa’s neck and nods, letting Lexa know that she’s all ready to go. “Having fun?” she asks, wading her way through the water.

“Yeah. I love the beach!” Ava replies. “I’m going to build the best sandcastle.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, do you want to help me?”

Lexa grins, “Of course.”

When they reach the group, Lexa slowly lowers Ava to the sand. She moves to the cooler, taking out a water bottle for herself and listening to the conversation between Clarke, Octavia and Monty. They’re currently arguing over the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy and Shondaland in general. The banter is entertaining to say the least, but soon enough Ava is grabbing the sandcastle equipment and asking Lexa if she’s ready.

Lexa excuses herself from the group and they make their way a little closer to the water – but not too close so the water could destroy their potential creation. They both start to pack the wet sand into the buckets and Lexa waits on instructions from Ava on how they were going to do this. Lexa soon gets the job of digging the moat around smaller castles, with Ava saying that it’s to protect them from any on coming attacks.

“Lexa?” Ava whispers.

Lexa looks up but continues digging into the sand. “Yeah?”

“Do you like my mummy?”

The question stuns Lexa just for a moment. But as the seconds tick over, the question itself isn’t really a surprise considering what happened yesterday. And Ava doesn’t stop what she’s doing – it’s as if the question is just like any other question Ava could ask during their time together. Maybe to her it is, but for Lexa it means a little something more.

“I think mummy likes you,” Ava says to cut through the silence. “She smiles a lot when she’s with you and she laughs a lot... I like you as well.”

Lexa smiles and scoots over just slightly so that she’s able to kiss the top of Ava’s head. “I like you too, Ava.”

“And mummy?”

“Yeah,” Lexa whispers with a small nod. “I like your mummy too.” She pauses and takes a deep breath, “Is that okay? That I like her?”

“Are you going to leave?” Ava asks.

Lexa raises an eyebrow. “No, of course not. What makes you ask that?”

“Last time someone liked mummy they had to leave…”

Lexa nods understandably as she remembers Clarke telling her about Niylah. Ava’s voice is a little softer than usual, a little quieter and it causes a slight pang in Lexa’s chest. “I’m not going anywhere,” Lexa whispers.

“Promise?”

Lexa holds out her pinkie and waits till Ava does the same. They interlock their fingers for a second and Lexa nods. “I promise.”

“Okay,” Ava smiles. She pats some more sand into the bucket and looks back up to Lexa, “I haven’t told mummy our secret.”

The grin on Ava’s face makes Lexa’s heart positively ache. She looks over to the water to see Mia and Aden chasing around Lincoln before looking back to Ava. It’s way too early to say anything out loud just yet, but god does she feel like they’re going to become a family one day. It scares her a little, but she’s more excited about it. She’s excited to open her heart to not only Clarke, but also Ava as well.

 “So it’s okay that I like your mummy?” Lexa asks.

Ava nods. “But you have to bring her flowers.”

“I do?”

Ava nods again. “That’s what girlfriends do.”

Lexa gets butterflies at the term. “Girlfriends?”

“Yeah, mummy likes daises.”

“We’re not quite girlfriends… yet,” Lexa whispers.

Ava looks up and gives her a questioning look. “You’re not?”

Lexa shakes her head. “It’s going to take some time.”

“But you like her?”

“I do,” Lexa reassures.

“But you’re not girlfriends?” Ava asks again.

Lexa responds by shaking her head. “But one day, I hope,” she smiles.

“Okay,” Ava smiles. She goes back to building her sandcastle, seemingly dropping the conversation for the time being. Lexa leaves it as well, considering that she feels like this is a conversation Ava and Clarke should have first. And a conversation she should have with Mia and Aden as well when the time comes.

 

* * *

 

Clarke watches Ava and Lexa in the distance and she’s sure nothing can wipe the smile off of her face. She can’t hear what they’re saying, but she does see them laugh and smile, Lexa also kisses the top of Ava’s head and they share another pinkie promise (which she’s definitely going to ask about later – despite her past experiences).

She can’t help but let her mind wander off to the night before where they slept together. Waking up in Lexa’s arms is her new favourite thing, and god does she hope she’ll be able to do it again soon. Clarke might be going about her relationship with Lexa in different ways to the past, but there is something pretty magical between the two of them.

“So what’s for dinner tonight?” Monty asks.

Clarke looks over to Monty and grins. “We’re ordering in tonight. We only have enough food left for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Pizza from down the road?” he asks.

Clarke hums in response and turns back to watch ahead. “Yeah,” she replies, “Lincoln said it’s pretty good.”

Octavia nudges Clarke slightly, “Look at your daughter and Lexa. They’re so cute.”

“I would have to agree,” Monty adds.

Clarke lets out a small sigh and turns to Octavia, giving her best friend the ‘I know what you’re doing look.’ But she doesn’t deny it because yeah, it’s a sigh that has her heart fluttering. It only gets better as she watches Aden join them, helping in building the sandcastle they’re working on.

“Lexa’s so good with the kids, isn’t she?” Monty continues. “Can’t imagine what it must have been like losing her wife to cancer.”

“Couldn’t have been easy,” Octavia whispers.

Monty nods along and the three of them go quiet again as they continue to watch Lexa, Ava and Aden. Clarke seen a few photos of Costia; a few from Facebook and a few from around Lexa’s house. There have been a few times where Lexa’s shared a little about Costia, but Clarke never pushes – not knowing how much was too much at this point of their relationship.

And inevitably her mind falls back to her own relationship with Lexa. This is new and scary for her too, but she’s so ready and willing to take the leap with Lexa. It’s just not the right time. She totally understands and agrees with waiting a little while longer. It’s just that when she knows what it’s like to be with Lexa, to get to sleep next to woman and wake up to her, it’s not a thing Clarke can easily push aside.

Being around and with Lexa makes her feel everything, all at once. But at the same time, Clarke feels nothing but contentment and peace with the woman.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, Clarke and Lexa manage to steal a moment away from the rest of the group. They’ve taken a box of pizza, some drinks and a blanket and find a spot on the beach not too far away from the house. They’re far enough to not be seen from the house, but close enough to hear their names being called out if they were needed.

Once they settle down, Clarke opens the pizza box first and takes a slice. “Most of the idiots inside don’t know what they’re missing out on,” she says before taking a bite of the Hawaiian pizza.

Lexa shrugs and takes a slice herself, “It just means that there’s more for us.”

“That I like.”

They sit in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s company. The waves crash against the shore in front of them, the moon shines brightly above them and the stars scatter themselves across the night sky. Clarke knows that she could live in this moment forever, _with_ Lexa.

It’s been a great day for them all. The kids enjoyed it the most, having been completely warn out from swimming and spending the entire day in the sun. They were all currently inside, huddled around the TV and watching a movie on Netflix.

But the highlight of Clarke’s day has got to be watching Lexa with Ava, Aden and Mia. It’s a memory she’s going to treasure for the rest of her life because even a couple of hours later, the sight still gives her butterflies. She doesn’t want to jinx it, but it’s a rare occasion where everything works out the way it’s meant to. But Clarke really thinks that this is only the beginning of _the_ relationship for her.

After they both have three slices each, it seems like it’s enough for the both of them. They close the box, finish their drinks and scoot a little close to each other. Clarke finds herself leaning her head on Lexa’s shoulder, “It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

Lexa hums in response and puts her arm around Clarke’s, pulling her in a little more. “Are you cold?” Lexa asks, “I can run inside if you want a jumper or another blanket.”

Clarke shakes her head. “No, I’m fine.”

“Okay.”

Clarke feels Lexa’s head come to rest on top of hers and she closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. The quiet draws out a little longer, but it’s a comforting type of silence – one that is reassuring and peaceful.

“You’ll never guess what Ava asked me today,” Lexa whispers, eventually breaking the silence.

“Oh no, what?”

Lexa laughs softly. “It’s nothing bad.”

“I don’t know… with Raven as her aunt she’s asked some really weird questions,” Clarke jokes.

“I don’t doubt that,” Lexa smiles. “She asked me if I liked you.”

Clarke’s eyes widen immediately. She can feel her cheeks becoming red and she really doesn’t know how to respond. So she lifts her head off Lexa’s shoulders, turning to face Lexa. “She did?”

Lexa nods. “She also asked if I was going to leave.”

“Because of Niylah…” Clarke whispers.

“That’s what I assumed,” Lexa replies.

Clarke looks down to the ground for the moment, remembering how upset Ava was when Niylah had to leave. The two of them really got along and just the fact that Ava felt like she had to ask Lexa that, breaks her heart. She never wants to put her daughter in a situation where she’ll get hurt, but sometimes that’s just life. Sometimes things just have to happen, even if they’re not good.

Clarke feels Lexa tilt her chin back up, so that they’re looking right into each other’s eyes. The moonlight provides enough lighting to see Lexa’s green eyes. “I told her that I wasn’t going anywhere,” Lexa whispers. “Actually, I promised her.”

Clarke smiles. “The pinkie promise I saw you guys share…”

“And I can promise you the same.”

Lexa smiles, then holds out her pinkie and Clarke’s heart skips a few beat. Every time Lexa smiles, she gets butterflies and knowing that she’s the reason behind the smile is that much better. It’s a pretty great feeling to be the reason why someone smiles the way Lexa does.

Clarke pushes Lexa’s hand aside and leans in for a kiss. It’s slow, but they both catch on and fall into the moment pretty quick. Clarke pulls away from the kiss first, grinning. They return to the previous position, with Clarke resting her head on Lexa’s shoulder.

“We go back home tomorrow…” Clarke whispers.

Lexa nods. “We do.”

“And we are…”

“I don’t really know what you would call… our relationship,” Lexa replies. “We’re waiting?”

“Can I be honest?” Clarke asks.

“Of course.”

Clarke takes a deep breath. “I don’t know if I can wait till the end of the year to kiss you again.” She quickly reaches for Lexa’s hand and continues, “And the last thing I want to do is push you in any way, because I will wait, I can. I just want you to know where I stand. I like you, _a lot.”_

“I feel the same way about you.”

Clarke smiles and lifts her head off Lexa’s shoulders. The two of them share a small, reassuring smile.

“I’m ready,” Lexa continues. “I want to date you; I want _to be_ with you. I just also want to give Mia and Aden some time before there’s another shift in their lives.”

“I understand.”

Lexa smiles again and gives Clarke’s hand a small squeeze. “Why don’t we take this slow…?”

“Slow?” Clarke asks.

Lexa nods and Clarke feels like it’s another step in the right direction for them. Slow sounds good for them. While she’s ready, she just can’t think about herself in this – there’s Ava, Mia and Aden. In the past, taking things slow would mean having the person she’s seeing _not_ meeting Ava yet. But this time it’s different.

“I don’t know what that exactly entails, but I trust you,” Lexa says. “Plus, I don’t think I can wait till the end of the year to kiss you again either.”

Clarke grins immediately and they’re both leaning in again, connecting their lips in another chaste kiss. It’s a light and fun moment, both women realising that the other is smiling as they break away.

“Slow,” Clarke repeats.

Lexa nods again. “Slow.”

 

They don’t spend much longer on the beach. It was getting a little too cold for them. Walking back into the house, Clarke settles on the couch between Ava and Rosie, pulling both girls in for a hug. In the kitchen she can hear Lexa talking away with Octavia and Anya and she can’t help but smile to herself. Mia and Aden are on the floor just in front of her, their attention fully on the movie and Clarke just feels so content in the moment.

About half an later, Clarke pauses the movie and gets all the kids to go and brush their teeth considering that most of them looked as if they were about to doze off. She chases Mia, Aden and Ava up the stairs and they all run into Lexa’s bathroom. With a small huff, Clarke walks towards her own room. “Ava!” she calls out. “Come get your toothbrush!”

“It’s already in Lexa’s room!”

By the time Clarke enters Lexa’s bathroom, Ava, Mia and Aden are standing elbow to elbow and brushing their teeth. It’s a sight that warms her heart. They’re bumping their elbows, they’re up on their toes to see themselves in the mirror and Mia is trying to sing a song through the toothpaste.

Clarke simply leans against the door of the bathroom, grinning like a fool. It’s not even a minute later that she feels a hand cross her shoulders, and she turns around to see Lexa walking past her. “Hey,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa smiles and leans peeks her into the bathroom as well. “Come on guys, Rosie and Ben are done and are waiting to start the movie again.”

Clarke watches as all three of them quickly finish brushing their teeth. They say their goodnights and they’re off running downstairs again. Clarke walks towards the staircase and yells out for them to not run down the stairs. Once she hears that they’re settling back into the living room, Clarke makes her way back towards Lexa’s room.

Closing the bedroom door behind her, she finds Lexa in the bathroom just about the brush her teeth. Without saying anything, Clarke steps towards Lexa and wraps her arms around the woman. She nuzzles herself in the crook of Lexa’s neck for a moment before resting her chin on Lexa’s shoulder. She closes her eyes and lets herself melt into the moment.

They stand like this until Lexa is done brushing her teeth. Clarke pulls herself away from Lexa and locks eyes with the woman in the mirror. “I should probably shower,” she whispers.

Lexa nods and turns around so that they’re facing each other. She cups either side of Clarke’s face and kisses her softly. Clarke is sure that this is what heaven is like. She places her hands on Lexa’s waist and pulls her in closer as their lips continue to move against each other.

“You should come back here when you’re done,” Lexa whispers as she breaks away from the kiss. “Stay with me tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am.”

“Okay,” Clarke smiles.

 

* * *

 

The following morning Lexa wakes up with Clarke in her arms. This is something she could get use to, it’s been so long since she’s felt like this. There is this presence that Clarke brings that she hasn’t felt in a long time. It’s a happiness and a joy that she thought she lost a long time ago.

Clarke stirs in her sleep and Lexa pulls herself in a little closer. They’re both doing things a little different to how “usual” dating goes, but when it feels this right, Lexa is pretty certain that it’s going to work either way.

“Morning,” Lexa whispers as she sees Clarke rub her eyes.

Clarke mumbles something in response which causes Lexa to chuckle softly. Clarke turns around so that they’re facing each other. “Morning,” she manages to say.

Clarke’s eyes are still closed at this point, but there’s a smile on her face. Lexa mirrors that smile and brushes Clarke’s hair away from her face. “Not a morning person, are you?”

“Not particularly.” Clarke’s hand blindly falls on Lexa’s waist, “But getting to wake up next to you makes the mornings so much better.”

Lexa grabs Clarke’s hand and brings it to her lips, kissing them softly. She watches as Clarke takes a few deep breaths, with the smile on her face never once falling. They don’t stay in bed for much longer after that, both wanting to make sure that they make the check-out time without any hassle.

It’s their last day at the beach house, and they’re meant to leave by noon. They have nothing planned for the day, just cleaning and maybe spending a little more time on the beach. Lexa probably couldn’t have asked for a better couple of days. She knows the kids had a great time, as did she. And her relationship with Clarke definitely moved a couple of steps forward, at the pace she needs.

Lexa steps out of the bathroom to find Clarke sitting at the end of her bed.

“Excited to go home?” Clarke asks.

Lexa offers a small smile. “Honestly? Not really…”

“What? Why?”

Lexa moves over to the table, picking up her brush and running it through her hair. “It’s just been a pretty great couple of days,” she whispers. She walks a little closer to Clarke, “It’s been a nice little escape.”

“It has been,” Clarke agrees.

Lexa is just about to walk back to the table when she feels Clarke tug at her hand. Lexa finds herself straddling Clarke’s lap, she drops the hairbrush somewhere and her hands end up on Clarke’s shoulders.

“We’re going to be okay,” Clarke whispers.

And in that moment Lexa didn’t realise that the reassurance was something she needed to hear. With Clarke, she doesn’t have doubts but it’s nice to hear these things still.

Clarke wraps her arms fully around Lexa, “I want _you.”_

“I want you too,” Lexa whispers back

“Then nothing changes,” Clarke replies, “We’re in this together. We do things at our own pace. We don’t do anything until we’re both completely ready.”

Lexa responds by cupping the side of Clarke’s face, and placing a long, soft kiss on Clarke’s forehead. She quickly lowers her lips though, until they reach Clarke’s. It’s another tender moment for the two of them, a quiet reassurance that they were in this together – that this was going to go the way they wanted without any problems.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some halloween fun and clarke and lexa's "official" first date (almost)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've kept this chapter so i could post it around halloween. halloween isn't really a big thing here so i dont know what people say? do i say happy halloween? well anyways, happy halloween if that's something you're in to. 
> 
> hope you're well. happy reading xx

Lexa and the kids are back to their normal schedule in no time. The rest of the holidays is pretty uneventful; Lexa goes back to work, Mia and Aden spend some time with Anya and a few other friends and they all simply enjoy the free time they have before things start to pick up again. Next thing Lexa knows, Mia and Aden are starting their first day of term 4 (the last term of the year) and they’re all quite excited.

Lexa signs Aden up for karate classes again, he’s taken to it quite fondly and quickly. Both Mia and Aden also sign up for swimming lessons. At first, Lexa was worried that it would be too much for Aden – but he reassures her that it’s fine and promises to say something if it does get too much. 

Work picks up at a steady rate and like any other business; they have their good days and their bad. Fortunately, most the customers and clients (for events) that come through have been great but it’s the ones that are difficult that sticks. Lexa hires another employee to help with the work load and it’s good. They all work well together and Lexa can only hope that she’s created a workplace where her employees aren’t always counting down the hours till they get to go home.

As for her relationship with Clarke, things just keep getting better. They are taking things slow, and it’s exactly what she needs. They see each other at the school, give each other a call at the end of the day and spend some time with each other every other weekend.

However, they haven’t been on a proper date yet. Whenever they spend time with each other, it’s usually always with other people. It’s not that Lexa doesn’t want to go on a date with Clarke, it really is just a matter of finding a time that suits them both. But she feels like there’s no need to rush things at this point. What they’re doing now is a good pace for her.

Thankfully, Mia and Aden have taking an extreme liking to Clarke. Her kids wake up excited for school and come home with smiles on their faces (most days). This is probably the most important thing to her, that her kids get along with Clarke. Because if that relationship wasn’t there, it would definitely be a deal breaker.

 

* * *

 

Coming back to school is one of Clarke’s favourite moments. She loves that first day of term, standing outside her classroom and greeting all her kids again. She loves the stories they share, the excitement they bring and just the overall joy they have to be back (well for most of them).

But it’s also great because she’s back doing what she loves. They’re three quarters of the way through the school year now, so her class is a pretty tight group. Of course there are the loud kids, the ones that are a little disruptive, kids who are a little more shy and quiet, but everyone gets along and they work well together. They’re a little family now and it never gets any easier knowing that she’ll have to say goodbye to them at the end of the year.

Ava signs up for karate again. She taken to it really well, and shows off her moves whenever and wherever she can. To say that Clarke is proud is an understatement. Ava gives everything a go, at least once. And when she finds something she likes and that she’s good at, Ava follows through with it completely.

And as for Lexa, Clarke is beyond happy with how they’re moving forward. Since their time at the beach house, she hasn’t gone a day without thinking about her. It’s cliché, and it makes her feel like she’s in high school again. But she still wakes up everyday, feeling excited that she’ll see or at least her from Lexa during the day.

Clarke knows that Ava knows that something is up between her and Lexa. Lexa knows too, and adds that Mia and Aden have their suspicions aswell. It is very subtle and not bad at all, but they both decide that it is a little too early to be having any serious talks about it with the kids. So, she keeps it casual and easy around Ava. And if anything, it’s a good sign because the relationship her (future) partner has with Ava is one of her top priorities.

In this case, Clarke’s relationship with Mia and Aden is as vitally important. But from her side of things, she’s definitely formed a relationship with the twins as well. And it’s not just the usual relationship she develops with her students, it’s a little something more and there’s a part of her that feels like Mia and Aden are feeling it to.

 

* * *

 

Halloween comes around during week four of the term. The actual day falls on the Saturday, but the school holds a dance for the kids on the Friday night. It’s something that everyone at the school has been talking about for weeks. It’s a dance that Clarke particularly loves. It’s always a fun night to see the kids all dressed up, dancing and enjoying the day.

Considering that Arkadia is a pretty small school, most of the teachers attend the dance to chaperone. The school hall is decorated in the classic Halloween get up; there’s skeletons, pumpkins, witches and spider-webs. Parents bring in food and drinks to share, there’s music and just outside the hall, there’s games and activities the kids get to participate in.

This year, Clarke goes as a Ghostbuster, as does Ava. They saw the movie together a couple of months ago and it’s definitely one of the best movies she’s seen all year. So naturally, when they came out of the cinemas Ava’s first words were “ _I WANNA BE A GHOSTERBUSTER FOR HALLOWEEN!”_

 

They’re about half an hour into the dance and everyone seems to be having a good time. Clarke's been watching over the outside area where the games are held. Other teachers watch over specific games, but she’s just there as an extra set of eyes.  

Soon enough, Lexa, Mia and Aden walk out of the hall and up to Clarke. Aden’s got a storm trooper costume on and Mia is Supergirl. Lexa isn’t dressed up tonight, but god does she look good in her dark blue jeans and black blouse.

“Hey,” Clarke greets.

“Hey.”

Clarke looks down to Mia and Aden, “Are you guys ready to have a good night?!”

“YES!” Mia yells. “YOU’RE A GHOSTBUSTER!”

“And you’re Supergirl!” Clarke compliments. “I love both your outfits!” Clarke raises her hand for a hi-five, which Mia and Aden give back happily. Aden then stomps around, showing off his costume to a couple of other storm troopers that come by.

Mia and Aden eventually run off with their friends, leaving Clarke alone with Lexa. At the moment, there aren’t a lot of kids outside playing the games – most of them are inside watching the magician that’s been hired for entertain the kids for a little while.

“I would have come by sooner, but the kids were really hungry,” Lexa says.

Clarke shakes her head. “It’s fine. I’m glad you’re here.”

Lexa tugs at the sleeve of her costume, “You make for a very cute ghostbuster.”

“It’s taking everything in me to not kiss you right now,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa chuckles softly. “Later,” she smiles.

Clarke feels her heart flutter and she nods. It might be a dance, but she’s still working. Kissing Lexa in front of the kids at school is not something that either of them are comfortable with (just yet). They stand there for a while, talking, catching up on what they’ve been up to. Just being like this with Lexa has her feeling like she’s on cloud nine. There is this excitement and joy Lexa brings to their moments together, something that Clarke can get so use to.

 

Clarke is relieved from her duty about an hour later. She makes her way through the dance, ensuring that everything is going smoothly. The kids are dancing, playing games, the parents are enjoying themselves in their own little groups and the rest of the teachers are around as well.

As “Perfect Strangers” by Jonas Blue plays throughout the hall, Clarke finds herself sitting at an empty seat to the side of the dance floor. She’s been on her feet the entire day so getting a moment to relax is definitely welcomed. What’s a little more welcoming is that a storm trooper comes by and takes a seat next to her.

Clarke smiles. “Aden?”

The storm trooper nods and takes off the helmet. “It’s hot under here,” Aden huffs.

“Wait here,” Clarke replies. She quickly moves to the drinks table and pours a cup of water before returning to Aden. “Drink up.”

“Thank you.” Aden takes the cup and takes a sip of the drink.

“Storm trooper Aden has got some pretty good moves.”

“Do you like dancing Miss Clarke?”

Clarke nods. “I do.”

“You should dance. Mr Hunter did the worm earlier.”

“I saw,” Clarke laughs. “I don’t think I can do the worm.”

“How about the boxing box?”

Clarke shakes her head.

“The time hopper?”

Clarke shakes her head again, raising her eyebrow in the process. She really does not know any of these dance moves. What ever happened to the classic, corny moves like the sprinkler? Or the shopping kart?

“Do you know _any_ dance moves Miss Clarke?” Aden jokes. He speaks up again before Clarke can respond, “You should ask mama to dance with you.”

Clarke turns to Aden and raises an eyebrow. “Me? Ask your mama?”

Aden nods. “I think she’ll like that.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” Aden nods again. “I think she likes you. Like, like- _likes_ you.”

“Like-likes?” Clarke asks, raising an eyebrow again.

Aden nods again. “Do you… like-like her too?”

There’s this flutter in Clarke’s heart that she doesn’t know what to say. The way Aden asks it is so innocent, and it makes it all seem so easy. Like if she says yes, then that’s all to it. Though, they’ve already said _yes_ , they’re just taking their time.

“I do,” Clarke whispers.

“You do?”

Clarke smiles. “Yeah, I do. Your mama is… she’s pretty great.” She pauses and looks out into the crowd. Of course, her eyes fall on Lexa who’s with a few of the other parents. “Is that something you’re okay with?” she asks quietly.

“You make her happy,” Aden smiles. “Does she make you happy?”

Clarke turns back to Aden and nods. “She does.”

“Then I’m okay with it.”

Clarke ruffles Aden hair a little and encourages him to go off with a few of his friends that run by. Of course she wants to talk more about Lexa with him, but it’s not her place to – not now at least. Their relationship is still new and she hasn’t even sat down to talk about it with Ava yet.

Bellamy and Lincoln then come by to keep her company. They talk about their plans for the following night. Lexa’s holding a small Halloween party for the kids since her street is the best place to do trick or treating during the night. She’s really excited, not only for the kids, but also because it means she’ll get to spend some more time with Lexa.

 

A little while later, Clarke is leaning against the wall as she watches the dance wind down. The music has been turned down, parents are gathering their plates, and kids are saying their goodbyes. She sees Ava sitting on some chairs, sharing the lollies with a couple of her friends. It doesn’t seem like Ava is _too_ tired, which is definitely good because Clarke isn’t able to leave till everyone else goes.

“ _Hey._ ” Lexa comes by and stands right next to her.

“Hey,” Clarke smiles. “Did you have a good night?”

Lexa nods. “It was great. _This_ was great. I love Halloween."

"Me too.”

“Says the woman who’s scared of haunted houses.”

Clarke laughs but she isn’t able to argue it. She loves this holiday, with the exception of haunted houses.

“Are you and Ava still coming by tomorrow?” Lexa asks.

“Of course.”

Clarke feels Lexa subtly reach for her hand, intertwining their fingers together. It’s pretty dark where they are and no one is around. Lexa gives her hand a small squeeze. “I’m going to get going, Mia’s getting a little tired.”

Clarke nods. “Text me when you get home?”

“I will.” Lexa pulls herself away and it takes everything in Clarke to not pull her right back. “Good night, Clarke.”

“Night, Lex.”

 

* * *

 

The following day, Lexa is rushing around the house to make sure everything is in its place. Even though she’s called the usual people over, her house is a little bit on the messier side given that Mia and Aden have been busy decorating all afternoon.

It’s just before 5pm and everyone is due to arrive soon. Lincoln is bringing over pizza, they’ll eat and then head out for trick-or-treating. It just so happens that her street is pretty renowned for their trick-or-treating during Halloween. Of course that does worry Lexa a little because she knows how some of the older kids can get. But her friends reassure her that there hasn’t been any concerning incidents.

 

By 6pm, everyone is almost ready to go. Aden, Mia and Ava are in the same outfits from the dance (the storm trooper, Supergirl and a Ghostbuster), Ben is Spiderman, Rosie is a Grounder (from the _Grounders_ comic book series) and Lucas is a mini Peter Pan.

Lexa and Lincoln go through some quick rules for the kids to follow. They’re all pretty eager to get out and start, so she isn’t sure if they hear half of what she says. But there’s enough adults to that will be following them to make sure they’re all safe. Lexa’s actually going to be staying home, so that she can greet trick or treaters that come by during the night. Clarke says that she’ll stay too which causes Lexa to grin like fool because it means that they’ll get some quiet time together.

Just as they’re about the leave, Lexa kneels down to Mia and Aden’s level. “Be good, okay?” she says. Her twins nod back excitedly and hug her.  “I love you guys.”

“We love you too,” Aden replies.

Lexa smiles and lets them go. She watches as Clarke gives Ava a quick hug before the group is taking them out onto the street. Once the door is closed, Lexa turns to see Clarke stealing a lolly from her stash. “And what do you think you’re doing?” she teases.

Clarke smirks and takes a few steps closer. “Trick or treat, Lexa Woods?”

Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke’s shoulders, “Treat,” she whispers as she pulls Clarke in for a kiss. It’s been about a week since she last kissed Clarke, and god does she savour every moment of this. It’s always a tender moment they share, it’s soft and caring and everything she needs for this relationship right now. Clarke holds onto to her too, like she doesn’t ever want to let go.

The kiss is interrupted as the doorbell rings. “Duty calls,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke gives her another quick kiss. “Mm, you get that and I’ll get us some drinks.”

Lexa watches as Clarke disappears into the kitchen. She then proceeds to answer the door, being greeted by a group of four kids, all dressed in characters from Monsters Inc. It might only be the first group she’s seen tonight, but it’s most likely going to top being her favourite (other than her own group of kids of course).

She chats and compliments their costumes for a little while. And just as they’re about to leave, more kids come to the door. She doesn’t mind of course, because all these kids have the biggest smiles on their faces and she can tell that they’re all enjoying themselves. One of the kids in the second group also gives her a trick, the little boy pulls out a flower from his sleeve which earns the group some extra candy.

After a couple more groups, Lexa manages to make her way to the living room where Clarke’s sitting in on the couch. Clarke welcomes her with open arms, and Lexa settles right next to her. It’s silent for a while, with Clarke wrapping her arms around Lexa. Of course they can still hear the commotion from the trick or treaters outside, but they both manage to let themselves feel like it’s just two of them for the time being.

“So guess what Aden asked me yesterday at the dance,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa can’t help but chuckle to herself. “I can take a pretty good guess.”

“Yeah?”

Lexa nods. “I overheard Aden telling Mia this morning that you said that you _like-like_ me,” she grins.

Clarke pulls Lexa in closer and kisses her temple. “Our kids are a nosy bunch, aren’t they?”

Lexa laughs again and finds her heart positively aching at this point. She nuzzles herself in Clarke’s embrace a little more and hums in response. “It’s a good sign though.”

“It is.”

“Lex…” Clarke whispers.

Lexa feels a shift in the air, but before she can respond the doorbell rings. “I’ll be back,” she says.

“I’ll be waiting,” Clarke smiles.

The way Clarke smiles reassure her that the shift isn’t a bad one. But she feels like Clarke was about to say something pretty important. When she answers the door, it’s a small group of kids in various costumes again. Lexa asks them all about it, asks them how their night has been and shares the candy amongst them.

Like the other time, the kids just keep on coming and eventually she finds a few familiar faces amongst the crowd. A few of the other parents who have kids in the same class as the twins stop by. They get chatting for a couple of minutes and Clarke joins in on the conversation as well. When they leave Lexa closes the door and when she turns around, she sees Clarke stepping towards her. “Hey,” she smiles.

Clarke takes her hand and kisses her knuckles. “Let me take you out on date,” she whispers.

Lexa immediately screams internally a loud “YES!”. There’s a part of her that thinks she’s dreaming. She knew that this would come eventually, and she’s glad that it has. When they agreed to take things slow, Lexa knew she could trust Clarke. Clarke has never once pushed her or made her feel like there’s any pressure to move their relationship forward. And a date right now seems like the right thing for them.

“I'd love that,” Lexa nods with a small smile.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Why? Were you worried that I was going to say no?”

Clarke shakes her head and wraps her arms around Lexa’s shoulders. “I was worried that it would be too soon.”

Lexa shakes her head and leans in for a kiss. “I would love to go on a date with you, Clarke Griffin.”

“Next week Saturday?”

“I can’t wait.”

 

* * *

 

“MAMA, LOOK AT ALL THE CANDY WE GOT!”

“I GOT TO BUST SOME GHOSTS!”

“I SAW SEVEN SUPERGIRLS TONIGHT!”

Lexa grins as she listens to Aden, Ava and Mia recount the last couple of hours. They eventually all gather around in the living room; the kids scattering their candy all over the floor and the adults all taking a couple of photos each.

When they settle down a bit, Lexa puts on a movie for the kids to enjoy before making her way to the kitchen. Everyone else follows, with Raven heating up the left-over pizza and Lincoln taking some snacks back out for the kids.

“Was it as exciting as the kids say it was?” Clarke asks the group.

Raven nods first. “The kids love Mr Allen’s house. We sat there and watched his light show for a good fifteen minutes.”

“Oh the big house on Lotus Avenue?” Lexa asks. “That’s an impressive light show.”

“Just wait until Christmas,” Raven says, taking the pizza out of the microwave.

“No problems then?” Lexa asks.

Raven shakes her head. “Not really. There were some clowns around and you know… with everything that’s been going on with the clown sightings, Lincoln and Bellamy kind of became the kids’ bodyguards.”

“Ava took out her gun and started fake shooting one that walked past,” Bellamy laughs. “But he was a good sport and fell to the floor anyways.”

Everyone laughs. “That sounds like her,” Clarke smiles. “I’m surprised she didn’t try and use her karate skills to fight the guy off.”

Bellamy takes a slice of the pizza. “Oh she almost did. Lincoln held her back before she could go off.”

“Aden looked as if he was about ready too,” Octavia points.

“Oh my god,” Lexa laughs.

“But it’s okay. He was pretty limited with what he could do in that storm trooper suit of his.” Octavia pauses and takes a slice of pizza as well. “Did Anya really create Mia’s Supergirl outfit?”

Lexa nods. “I told her I could just buy one but she’s insisted.”

“ _That’s because I’m a great Aunt.”_ Lexa turns to see Anya walking into the kitchen with Lincoln right behind her.

“Hey. I thought you said you were busy tonight?” Lexa asks.

Anya immediately goes for a slice of pizza. “Dinner was boring so I had my secretary call in a fake emergency.” She takes a bite out of the pizza before dropping her bag on an empty chair, “How was trick-or-treating? Are the kids super hyper yet?”

Lexa shakes her head. “They seem to be okay.”

“I just cut them off,” Lincoln says. “They all seem to be fine with it.”

“That’s because you said you’d eat it all if they ate anymore,” Clarke says.

“You heard?!”

Clarke laughs. “I hear everything. I’m a teacher.”

“That literally makes no sense,” Raven points out, “There is no correlation between the two things.”

“Shut up, Raven.”

Raven sticks out her tongue and the group continue on with chatting about their day. It’s light, and uneventful for the most of it. It’s really just some time for the group of friends to catch up and enjoy some time together before the week starts up again.

Lexa’s definitely thought it before, but she’s go glad she’s found a home here. Polis will always have a part of her heart, but Arkadia is something else. She sees the difference in Mia and Aden as well. While they think the city is great, city life just isn’t for them. Being in the suburbs is where they’re meant to be.

 

A little while later, Lexa and Anya move outside to enjoy the cool night. The two sisters sit across from each other, talking about the little things. Lexa talks about how works been going, she mentions the talk she had with their parents earlier in the day and they semi-plan another possible weekend for them to drive back up to the farm.

“So how was trick-or-treating for you?” Anya eventually asks. “Any good costumes come by?”

Lexa nods softly. “It was great,” she replies. “A group of kids came by as the monsters from Monsters Inc, it was adorable.”

“Not as adorable as Mia and Aden though.”

“No where near,” Lexa laughs.

“Were you by yourself?” Anya asks. “Or did someone stay back with you?”

Lexa internally groans, she knows where this conversation is about to go and there’s no way she can avoid it. “Clarke was with me,” she whispers.

Anya raises an eyebrow, “Really now?”

“Oh shup up, I know you know. I saw you like her tweet earlier.”

Anya smirks. “I just wanted to see if you would tell me the truth.” Lexa rolls her eyes. “Plus, I’m your sister. I get to know these things.”

“You’re just as nosy as Mia and Aden.”

“They learn from the best,” Anya teases.

Lexa rolls her eyes again, but eventually sighs happily. She knows her sister is just teasing her and with the way she’s feeling right now, she’s just too happy to care. “Clarke asked me out on a date,” she reveals.

“ABOUT TIME!”

“ _About time, what?”_

Both Lexa and Anya turn towards the door to see Raven, Octavia and Clarke stepping out and joining them. Immediately Lexa can feel herself blush, because dealing with Anya is one thing, but then adding Raven and Octavia to the mix is a whole other thing. Raven takes a seat at the head of the table, Octavia sits next to Anya and Clarke comes to sit right next to her.

“About time Clarke asked Lexa to go on a date,” Anya answers.

“Anya,” Lexa sighs.

“Wait, haven’t you guys been on dates already?” Octavia asks. “You have coffee and lunch all the time.”

“They don’t consider those dates,” Raven replies.

Octavia raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Raven shrugs. “They’re weird.”

Lexa scoffs playfully and turns to Clarke, “I hate our friends.”

“I hate them too,” Clarke replies rather seriously.

“Hey!” Raven calls out. “We’re right here.”

“And Lexa and I are right here too,” Clarke counters. “Doesn’t stop you guys from talking about us.”

“She’s got a point,” Anya says.

“Shut up, Anya. We’re talking about Clarke and Lexa now.” Raven then turns her attention back to them, “So it’s official. You guys are a thing?”

Lexa turns to Clarke to see who’s going to take the question. She can’t help it though, when she sees Clarke smile her heart flutters. “Yeah,” she whispers, “We’re… dating.”

“We’re just taking things slow,” Clarke smiles.

“Have you guys talked to your kids about it yet?” Octavia asks.

Clarke shakes her head. “They know something is going on, but we will talk to them soon.” Without really thinking she reaches for Lexa’s hand.

Lexa intertwines their fingers together and smiles. They share a small moment together and it’s got her feeling like this is another big step in their relationship. Though their friends have known from the start about them, they’ve been (for the most part) considerate about giving them space to figure things out. It gave her and Clarke the time to build on their relationship with no added pressure.

“I officially hate you guys and the cute little family you’ll be,” Raven teases.

 

* * *

 

Fortunately for Lexa, Saturday comes by in a blink of an eye. To say that she’s been excited for her date with Clarke would be an understatement. It’s been a pretty busy week so she hasn’t been able to sit down with Mia and Aden and talk about her relationship with Clarke yet. But she will do that soon, she just needs to find the right moment.

Lexa comes home from work to find Anya at the dining table, working on a few sketches and Aden drawing away with her. “Hey champ,” Lexa greets, kissing the top od Aden’s head. “What are you drawing?”

Aden lifts his paper to show what he’s been working on. “I’m colouring in Anya’s dresses!”

“And you’re doing such a great job,” Anya adds. “Hey,” she says, looking over to Lexa.

“Mia’s temperature still a little high?” Lexa asks. Her sister nods and Lexa settles her bag onto the table. While she was at work, Anya had messaged her saying that Mia started to get a little hot and didn’t look 100%. While Lexa was ready to come home straight away, Anya told her to stay at work and just stop by the pharmacy on the way home.

Lexa makes her way to Mia’s room, opening the door very softly on her way in. Mia is sprawled across her bed with the sheets covering only half her body. Mia’s bed is actually the bunk bed from their apartment back in Polis and fortunately, she’s sleeping on the lower level at the moment.

Lexa steps closer and kneels on the floor, placing the back of her hand on her daughter’s forehead. It is still hotter than normal but she doesn’t want to wake Mia up just yet. So Lexa leaves the room for now, retuning to Anya and Aden at the dining table.

“She managed to eat a little bit at lunch,” Anya says, “But not a lot.”

Lexa nods and takes a seat next to Aden. She takes out her phone and starts to scroll through her messages. “Aden, why don’t you go and pack your bag for tonight. You can still go and sleep over at Bellamy’s but Mia might have to stay home today.”

“Is she too sick to go?” Aden asks.

Lexa nods.

“I’ll drop you off on the way home,” Anya adds in.

Aden is quick to jump off the table and run off towards his room. For tonight, Mia and Aden were going to sleep over at Bellamy’s while Lexa went out with Clarke. It was just a big coincidence that Ben and Rosie happened to ask if the sleepover could happen this very weekend. But with Mia falling sick, Lexa’s going to have to cancel on her date.

“I can watch Mia tonight if you still want to go out with Clarke,” Anya offers.

Lexa shakes her head. “I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve got that big meeting tomorrow, you can’t afford to get sick.”

“I have the strongest immune system,” Anya replies, “I won’t get sick.”

“You’ve gone and jinxed it now,” Lexa laughs. She opens the conversation she had with Clarke just earlier in the day and smiles. They were both talking about how excited they were for the date tonight. While Lexa wants nothing more than to go out with Clarke, she knows she won’t be able to leave Mia tonight.

“I’m serious.”

Lexa smiles. “I know you are, but I probably won’t be able to think about anything other than Mia all night. I won’t be good company for Clarke.”

“Clarke looks at you like you’re the only person in the room,” Anya says, “She'll always think you're good company no matter the circumstances."

Lexa smiles again and lifts her phone slightly. “I’m going to give her a call.” She stands up and makes her way to the living room. As the call tone rings out, Lexa makes herself comfortable on the couch.

“ _Hey.”_

“Hey,” Lexa greets.

“ _Couldn’t wait till tonight to talk to me?”_ Clarke teases.

Lexa laughs a little. “I wish that was why I was calling. I’ve been so excited for tonight, but Mia’s fallen a little sick and I just don’t think I can leave her tonight. I’m sorry–”

“ _It’s okay, Lexa,_ ” Clarke cuts in. “ _I understand.”_

“I’m really sorry.”

“ _It’s okay. We can reschedule. Is Mia okay though?”_

Lexa nods to herself. “Yeah, her temperature’s just a little high and she said she was feeling a little sore.”

“ _Let me come over, make you guys dinner so it’s one less thing you have to worry about.”_

“You don’t have to do that, Clarke.”

_“I know. But I want to.”_

“I don’t want you getting sick,” Lexa replies.

“ _Here’s a little fact about me. I only ever get sick once a year and I’ve already gotten sick this year.”_

Lexa laughs. “That can’t be true.”

“ _But it is._ ” There’s a pause. “ _What do you say? I know the perfect soup that will make Mia feel better instantly.”_

“Are you sure?” Lexa asks. Of course she wants to say yes, but she really doesn’t want to be the reason why Clarke gets sick. Especially being a teacher, being sick could disrupt her routine and schedule and that’s the last thing Lexa wants.

“ _I am. I can be over in a couple of hours. I just need to pick up a few things from the store.”_

“Thank you, Clarke,” Lexa smiles.

“ _Anytime. Do you need anything?”_

“No.”

“ _Then I’ll see you later.”_

“Bye.”

“ _Bye.”_

Lexa hangs up the call and makes her way back to Anya who’s got a knowing smirk on her face. “Shut up,” Lexa says.

“I didn’t say anything,” Anya defends.

Lexa rolls her eyes. “Like you ever have to _actually_ say anything to say something.”

“So Clarke’s coming over?”

“She is.”

 

“So have you talked with Mia and Aden yet?”

Lexa shakes her head. “I will soon. Did i tell you? Ava straight up asked me if I liked Clarke and Aden did the same with Clarke.”

“Really?”

Lexa nods and laughs a little. 

“Do you know what you'll say?” Anya asks.

“Honestly…” Lexa breathes, “I don’t know. This is new territory for the all of us. And it’s not like I’m worried how Mia and Aden will react, because I know they like Clarke.”

“Then what’s holding you back?”

“Nothing.” Lexa pauses. “I just feel like this could be a really good thing and I want to take the time we need to make sure it works out.”

“You’re already falling for her.”

Lexa turns to her sister and doesn’t reply. She thinks about it for a moment, she thinks about Clarke and everything that’s happened with their relationship so far, she thinks about Ava, and she thinks about her own kids. Maybe she hasn’t dated since Costia but she’s met a lot of people and no one has sparked something within her like Clarke has.

“Yeah,” Lexa whispers. “I think I am.”

“I’m happy for you, Lex.”

Lexa smiles. “I’m happy too.”

“That’s good,” Anya assures.

Anya then goes on to show Lexa what she’s been working on. And as usual, Lexa is in awe of what her sister is working on. There is something _different_ about the way Anya designs her clothing. For a while, her sister’s focus has been on wedding attire and it’s pushed her to be one of the best. Proud is an understatement.

The drawings scattered across the table are of various bridal dresses – not ones Lexa would particularly wear herself, but they’re still pretty amazing. Anya tells her about her clients – a woman who is getting married and having all six of her sisters as her bridesmaids. So, Anya’s job is to design a dress that they’ll all like.

“Six sisters,” Anya groans, “I can barely handle the one.”

Lexa rolls her eyes. “Ha-ha. You aren’t so easy yourself.”

“Because I have _you_ as a sister,” Anya argues.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t become a lawyer, because your arguments are shiii– shivers…” Lexa turns to Aden who’s coming through the door, “Hey, all packed?”

“Nearly,” Aden answers. He drops his bag to the ground, “I just need my toothbrush,” he says before running off the bathroom.

Lexa stands up from the chair and double checks what Aden has packed in his bag. He’s got his PJs, a towel and a change for clothes for the following day. Bellamy is taking the kids to a new restaurant with Lincoln and Octavia, before setting up a little movie marathon for them in his living room.

Aden comes back not a minute later and puts away his toothbrush container in his bag. “Am I going now?” he asks.

“Soon buddy,” Anya chimes in, “Let me just pack up my things.”

Lexa ruffles his hair. “Why don’t you go pack up the Wii and controllers first.”

Aden nods and goes off towards the living room. Lexa helps Anya gather her drawings and pencils, thanking her again for watching the twins and for driving Aden to Bellamy’s. She’s been in Arkadia for a couple of months now and she couldn’t be happier. Being this close to her sister again is everything she hoped it would it would be and so much more.

 

About an hour later, Lexa is helping Mia into the bath. Her daughter woke up not too long ago, complaining about tiredness mostly. Lexa does give her some of the medicine she picked up earlier and offers some food, but Mia says that she isn’t hungry yet.

Once the bubbles in the bath are just to Mia’s liking, Lexa takes a seat on the bathroom floor to keep her company. “Are you feeling sore anywhere in particular?” Lexa asks. “Does your stomach hurt or your head?”

Mia shakes her head as she pushes the bubbles around the bath tub. “I just feel tired… When did Aden go?”

“Not long ago,” Lexa smiles. “I’m sorry you couldn’t go tonight. But I’ll take you another weekend.”

Mia nods. “I’m sorry you can’t go on your date with Clarke tonight.”

Lexa’s eyes widen immediately. She did tell Mia and Aden that she was going out with Clarke tonight – but she never mentioned it being a date. “Who told you it was a date?” Lexa asks.

“It’s not a date?” Mia asks.

Lexa sighs a little. “It was a date… but I’m just curious how you knew it was a date.”

“Ava told me…” Mia reveals. “She heard her mum and Aunt Raven talking about it. You’re not mad, are you?”

Lexa shakes her head immediately. “Of course not. I just wanted to be the one to tell you.”

“I like Clarke, and Aden does too.”

“And you’re okay with me dating Clarke?” Lexa asks.

Mia nods. “Does she make you happy?”

“She does.” Lexa pauses and runs her hand through the bubbles too. “But I want you to know that you and Aden will always come first.”

In the distance, Lexa hears the sound of a car pulling up into her driveway. “I promise I’ll talk about this you and Aden some more later. Okay?” Mia nods in response and Lexa gets up from the floor. She leans over and kisses the top of Mia’s head, “Just call for me when you’re ready to get out.”

Mia nods and Lexa makes her way out of the bathroom. Just as it so happens she sees Clarke’s car pull up into her driveway. Again, like all the times she’s seen Clarke her heart skips a beat and the butterflies flutter in her stomach appear.

 

* * *

 

Clarke pulls up into Lexa’s driveway and starts to gather her things. She’s picked up a few items from the grocery so she can make dinner. Of course she’s been excited all week about her date with Lexa, but she understands. If Ava was the one to get sick on this day, she would have done the same thing Lexa did.

But it’s not all bad. Clarke still gets to spend some time with Lexa.

Lexa’s at the door before Clarke is even at the front porch. “Hey,” Lexa smiles. She comes over and helps Clarke with the bags. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Clarke smiles. They both meet halfway for a quick, chaste kiss that still leaves them both grinning from ear to ear. Clarke follows Lexa inside, setting the bags up onto the kitchen counter top. “How’s Mia?”

“Still running a little hot, but hopefully some medicine and rest will help.” Lexa pauses and starts to pull out items from the bag, “She’s just in the bath. So what are you making?”

“Well…” Clarke trails off and does the same, “I’m making Grandpa Griffin’s chicken noodle soup.”

“Family remedy for the sick?” Lexa asks.

Clarke laughs. “Nope. But it tastes pretty good.” Once everything is on the countertop, she walks over to Lexa and pulls the woman in for a hug. Lexa wraps her arms around her and Clarke is sure that this is a feeling she never wants to lose. And it’s not just the physical feeling, it’s the feeling that washes through her, the one that makes her heart settle, the one that makes her feel like she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.

“Thank you for coming,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke pulls away from the hug and leans in so that their lips are ghosting over each other’s. “Anytime,” she whispers. She pulls Lexa in and crashes their lips together. Clarke pushes Lexa against the counter top and steps in so that their bodies are pressed together. Lexa’s tongue traces across her bottom lip and Clarke moans. Their tongues glide against each other and Clarke’s heart is beating out of her chest at the moment.

One of Lexa’s hand is in her hair and the other is around her waist. The way Lexa holds her feels like she never wants to let go. And Clarke relishes in this moment because she knows that any time with Lexa is time that she’s going to be holding onto for a very long time.

“ _MAMAAAAAA!”_

Lexa pulls back from the kissing with a slightly chuckle. “That’s my queue.”

“I’ll get started on dinner.”

Lexa leans in for another quick kiss before going off towards the bathroom. The grin on Clarke’s face doesn’t leave and she gets to making the soup. It’s a recipe she’s made many times before, but being in a different kitchen she takes some time to familiarise herself with everything. That means there’s a lot of opening and closing draws to find where things are.

About ten minutes later, Lexa returns with Mia by her side. Mia sits up on the stool and Lexa takes over chopping up the vegetables.

“Hey Miss Clarke,” Mia smiles.

“You don’t have to call me _Miss Clarke_ out of school,” Clarke says. “ _Clarke_ is fine.”

“What are you making?”

“Chicken noodle soup. Think you might want to have some when it’s done?”

Mia inhales rather dramatically. “I can’t smell anything.”

“I haven’t started yet,” Clarke laughs. “Soon, it won’t take too long. How are you feeling?”

“A little tired, but I’m okay.”

Clarke nods and continues on with making dinner. “I hope you don’t mind me coming by and making dinner for you.”

Mia shakes her head and grins. “Where’s Ava?”

“With her grandma,” Clarke replies. They continue on with making idle chat about the day they’ve had. Mia talks about the drawings she did with Anya earlier in the day, Lexa talks about work and Clarke tells them about an incident she had with Raven and Ava not long ago.

Clarke doesn’t miss the way how all of _this_ feels so normal. The only thing that’s missing is Aden and Ava at this point. She knows it’s a crazy thought, but she also knows that it’s a thought that she never wants to let go of. Though they haven’t been on a date yet, Clarke can feel herself falling for Lexa already. She’s been falling since the night they first kissed.

 

Once the soup is ready, the three of them settle around the TV and Mia chooses a movie for them to watch. They all sit on the ground, with Mia sitting on the couple of cushions to make her a little more comfortable. The beginning of Inside Out plays and they all carefully start with their dinner.

Mia and Lexa compliment it immediately and Clarke is over the moon. This soup reminds her of her childhood, it’s whole, full and hearty, and there’s an indescribable warmth that courses her through her body. It’s the same warmth that she feels whenever she’s with Lexa.

They get about 40 minutes into the movie before Mia starts to doze off again. She’s gotten through half her food, which seems to be enough for Lexa.

“Tired Monkey?” Lexa asks.

Mia nods and yawns again.

“Wait one minute,” Lexa says, “You need to take some more medicine and I’ll put you to bed.”

Clarke watches as Lexa takes their plates and makes her way to the kitchen. She moves to sit up on the couch, patting the empty side for Mia to join her. “Do you feel a little better?” she asks, wrapping her arm around Mia.

“A little,” Mia whispers as she huddles herself next to Clarke. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry you couldn’t go out with mama tonight.”

“No, it’s okay,” Clarke whispers. She hugs Mia a little tighter, “You are more important.”

Mia closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. “You smell like chicken noodle soup,” she chuckles.

Clarke laughs and just at that moment Lexa walks back into the room and is taking Mia off the couch. Clarke gives her one final goodnight, before watching the two disappear again. While Lexa is putting Mia to bed, Clarke gets to cleaning up the mess she made in the kitchen. There’s a few extra plates, cutlery and pans – so she gathers them and puts them into the sink.

About five minutes later, Clarke feels Lexa come up behind her. Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke’s waist and whispers, “Hey, you don’t have to clean up.”

Clarke shakes her head. “It’s fine. I’m nearly done.” Lexa kisses the crook of her neck and it makes her knees wobble.

“Mia was right,” Lexa laughs, “You do smell like chicken noodle soup.”

Clarke places the final plate in the dish rack and grabs the towel to dry her hands. She turns around and wraps her arms around Lexa’s shoulders, “I wonder why that is,” she replies.

“I mean the whole house smells like chicken noodle soup, but I’m not complaining.” Lexa pauses and cups the either side of Clarke’s face. “Thank you for coming tonight,” she whispers. “Maybe we can reschedule our date…”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” Clarke nods. She leans and kisses Lexa slowly before pulling back, “What do you say we watch a movie and open that bottle of wine I brought?”

Lexa nods. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

 

* * *

 

About two hours later, Lexa is running her fingers through Clarke’s hair. Clarke is resting her head on her lap and the movie they just watched is about to come to an end. The credits roll through and Clarke turns to look up at her.

“Enjoy the movie?” Lexa asks.

Clarke hums in response and sits up. “Another drink?” When Lexa nods, she grabs their glasses and refills them both.

Lexa takes her glass and raises it slightly, “To chicken noodle soup.”

“To chicken noodle soup,” Clarke laughs. They both take a sip before making themselves a little more comfortable on the couch. “When can we reschedule this date of ours?”

“Next week?” Lexa offers.

Clarke thinks about it for a moment before letting out a small sigh. “I can’t next week, Saturday is my cousin’s birthday party. Sunday?”

Lexa shakes her head, “I can’t. My parents are coming down on for the day.”

“It’s okay,” Clarke whispers. She reaches for Lexa’s hand “We’ll find a day. Or even just little moments in between until then.”

The two of them share a small smile and Clarke takes away her glass, setting them on the table before return back. Lexa’s breath hitches as Clarke comes closer, cups the side of her face, and guides them closer.

“How did I get so lucky,” Lexa whispers. Her lips are grazing Clarke’s at this point and her heart is just beating uncontrollably. But at the same time, Clarke make her feel like everything around her is _just right_ , like this is exactly where she’s meant to be.

Clarke smiles and closes the distance between them again. It’s another slow kiss, and Lexa loses herself in the moment. One of her hands rests on Clarke’s lap while the other takes Clarke’s hand. She just needs to be as close to Clarke as she can. She is falling so hard and so fast and while she’s a little scared, she knows Clarke will be there right with her.

Clarke pulls back from the kiss, “I want to ask… are we…”

“We are…” Lexa whispers. It seems to be a mutual understanding that they don’t need to put an exact label on it yet. They’re together and it’s only a matter of time before it leads them to where they want to be. “Would you be okay if I started talking to Mia and Aden about us?” Lexa asks. “They’re already asking questions and I just don’t want them to be confused or to be worried about anything.”

Clarke caresses the side of Lexa’s face and smiles. “I’m perfectly fine with that. I’ll talk to Ava too.”

Lexa covers Clarke’s hand with her own and leans into the touch. “When do you have to go?”

“Ava’s sleeping over at my mum’s tonight,” Clarke whispers, “So I don’t _have_ to go.”

“You want to stay over?” Lexa asks.

Clarke nods softly. “There’s not a night I don’t go to sleep thinking about you, Lex. But it’s okay to say no,” she whispers. “I know that this is different to the beach house… Mia’s here and this your home. This is a big thing.”

“It is…” Lexa breathes. There hasn’t been a night where she hasn’t thought about Clarke before going to bed either. It might have only been two nights, but those two nights sleeping with Clarke is something that she already misses. She misses the warmth and care that she felt those nights. But like Clarke said, this is a big step. This isn’t the beach house and she doesn’t know what she would say in the morning when Mia sees that Clarke is still here.

“Forget I said anything,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa immediately finds herself shaking her head. “No… No, I want you to stay.”

Clarke smiles. “Lex, it’s okay if this is too quick.”

Lexa shakes her head again. “I don’t go a night without thinking about you either.” She takes both of Clarke’s hands and pulls the woman in closer. Clarke manoeuvres herself and straddles Lexa’s lap.

“Are you sure?” Clarke asks.

Lexa nods. “I am.”

Clarke pushes her back into the couch and they’re kissing again. Lexa’s hands come to rest on Clarke’s waist, pulling her in, keeping her close. This is the first time since Costia that Lexa has felt a _need,_ a _desire_ for someone else. Clarke ignites everything in her that she thought she once lost.

 

* * *

 

Waking up to Lexa at the beach house was thing, but waking up to Lexa in her home is a totally different thing. A good thing, but different. Clarke knows that this is a big step in their relationship, and she does not take it lightly. She wouldn’t have said that she wanted to stay if she wasn’t sure that her relationship with Lexa is something that she’s ready to commit herself to.

Clarke moves just an inch so that she’s holding Lexa a little tighter. It’s just past 7am and they don’t have a lot planned for the day so there is no rush to get out of bed. Lexa’s breathing is quiet, even, and Clarke thinks that this is her new favourite moment to live in. 

Moments later, Lexa is waking up and Clarke pulls the woman in closer. This is a Sunday morning she’ll never forget, and a Sunday morning she hopes to get more of in the future. “Morning,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa hums and it’s the most adorable thing Clarke has ever heard. “Morning,” Lexa mumbles back. She turns over to face Clarke, but her eyes are still closed. “I could get use to this.”

“Me too,” Clarke whispers. She leans forward and presses her lips against Lexa’s before pulling back. But as she’s pulling back, Lexa follows and kisses her again. But of course Clarke isn’t complaining. “I could get use to _this,_ ” she breathes.

Lexa laughs and continues to kiss Clarke. Swiftly, she straddles Clarke and pulls the covers over them as she leans down again. “Morning.”

Clarke tucks a few strands of Lexa’s hair behind her ear. This is definitely a Sunday morning she’ll never forget. Lexa is here with her and in this moment, it’s just them. Clarke lets out a small content sigh. “I really like you, Lexa.”

Lexa smiles too. “I really like you too, Clarke.”

Clarke pulls Lexa down and kisses her again. Both her hands cup the either side of Lexa’s face and she is just so happy.

 

They both eventually roll out of bed. Clarke’s in a pair of Lexa’s blue shorts and a random black t-shirt. They make their way out of the bedroom and Lexa is quick to check on Mia. Clarke stands at the door and watches as Lexa kisses the top of Mia’s head before placing the back of her hand on her daughter’s forehead.

Moments later Lexa is walking towards her. “Her temperature seems to have dropped,” she whispers as she closes the door behind her.

“That’s good,” Clarke replies. They walk into the kitchen and she pulls back the blinds while Lexa immediately starts on getting coffee ready. “Hey…” Clarke whispers. “Since Mia isn’t awake yet, I can go if you like…”

Lexa stops what she’s doing and turns to face Clarke. She shakes her head, “No,” she replies, “It’s okay.” Lexa steps towards her and goes in for a hug. “I’m okay with you being here when she wakes up. You aren’t a secret I need to keep from Mia or Aden.”

Clarke hugs Lexa back a little tighter and smiles. “In that case, breakfast is on me. What would you like?”

Lexa laughs as she pulls back from the hug. “Breakfast is on you… but with the food I’ve paid for…?”

“Yeah, basically,” Clarke laughs. It’s not long before they decide to make French toast. They work together around the kitchen and there’s an easy flow to everything they do. It’s just a comfortable silence mostly, with Clarke occasionally stealing a kiss here and there and asking where something is.

Clarke preps enough for everyone but only cooks enough for Lexa and herself for now. When Mia wakes, she’ll make more since it’s always better to have it made fresh. They fall into an easy conversation about the rest of their days and what they had planned for the rest of the week. Clarke’s got her usual routine with school and Lexa’s got the same with the florist.

It’s about half an hour later that they’re both just over halfway through breakfast. They’re both taking their time, enjoying their meal and talking about a little bit about everything. Lexa sits next to her and this moment is another moment Clarke will never forget. Some of her favourite mornings revolve around lazy Sunday mornings and now that Lexa’s part of that memory, she couldn’t be happier.

Just as Clarke takes another sip of her coffee; she sees Mia stumble through. Instantly, she’s smiling because Mia looks like she’s barely awake. The sight before her reminds her so much of her own daughter.

“Morning Monkey,” Lexa greets.

“Morning,” Mia yawns. She walks over to her mum and looks at Clarke a little curiously. “Morning Miss Clarke. Did you sleep here?”

Clarke smiles. “You know, you don’t have to call me _Miss Clarke_ , Mia.”

“Oh sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Clarke chuckles. She looks over to Lexa to make sure it’s okay that she answers Mia’s question. When Lexa gives a small nod, Clarke turns back to Mia. “Yeah, I did. Are you hungry? Because I can quickly make some French toast for you.”

“I love French toast!” Mia replies.

“Awesome. I’ll do that for you right now. It won’t take too long.”

“Oh, I can do it,” Lexa says. She’s about to move Mia when Clarke stands up and shakes her head.

“I’ve got it. It’s okay.”

“Next time you sleep over, can Ava sleep over too?” Mia asks.

Clarke takes the few steps into the kitchen and smiles to herself. “Of course,” she replies, “As long as your mama is okay with that.”

Mia turns towards her mum, eyes silently pleading. And Lexa laughs in response, “Of course she can.”

Clarke doesn’t miss the way her heart flutters at the question. Mia might not fully grasp what’s going on with her and Lexa right now, but it seems like it’s not going to be a problem moving forward. Clarke starts on breakfast for Mia while she listens to Lexa and Mia talk. Lexa asks how Mia’s feeling, checking her temperature and just making sure she’s okay overall. It seems like whatever Mia had has passed, which is definitely welcome news to them all.

Once the French toast is done, Mia moves to her own seat as Lexa takes a call from Anya. Clarke places the plate in front of Mia and returns to her own seat, sitting right across her. “So you’re feeling better?” Clarke asks, taking a sip of her coffee.

“I am,” Mia smiles. She drizzles some of the maple syrup over the plate and is just about the use her hands to eat, but Lexa quickly hands her over a fork instead. “Did you finish watching Inside Out last night?”

Clarke shakes her head. “I want to finish it with you.”

Mia smiles and takes the first bite of the French toast. “Were you too tired to go home then?”

“Yeah….” Clarke trails off. “Your mama and I watched another movie and just ended up talking. We lost track of time.”

“Where did you sleep?” Mia asks.

This causes Clarke to stop momentarily. There is no doubt that she loves kids, but sometimes they just as _a lot_ of questions. She looks over to Lexa, whose still on the phone, hoping she’ll get so sort of help as to what she should say.

Lexa bites her bottom lip in response and quickly hands over the phone to Mia. “Mia,” she whispers, “Aunt Anya wants to see how you’re doing.”

Clarke lets out a small sigh of relief. Dating another single parent is new territory and she just doesn’t know how she’s meant to go about discussing these things. She doesn’t want to overstep because Lexa might want to talk to her kids a certain way or tell them certain things at certain times.

“Thank you,” she mouths as Mia talks over the phone.

Lexa responds with a small smirk and a slight nod. They both finish the rest of their food as Mia does the same while staying on the phone with Anya. Much of the conversation is just Mia saying that she’s fine and what she dreamt about while she was sleeping.

Thankfully, Mia seems to forget about the question she asked Clarke when she stops talking to Anya. Instead, Clarke tells her about what they have planned for the week ahead in class.

The biggest news is that they’re going to start working on their part for the school’s Christmas play. It’s one of Clarke’s favourite projects throughout the entire year. Every year, all the classes in Arkadia work on a 10 minute Christmas sketch for the parents to enjoy. It’s just something that helps everyone get into the Christmas spirit.

This week she’s going to be introducing the overall concept to her class, assigning roles to the kids and sending letters home to parents about it all. The look on Mia’s face is priceless. Her overall self just lights up at the news and Clarke can take a pretty good guess that Mia loves Christmas.

 

After breakfast and cleaning up, Clarke wanders back to the bedroom with Lexa. Mia’s been allowed some TV time before she needs to change and get ready for the day. Clarke closes the door behind her and moves to where she’s kept her clothes from the previous night. “I’m just going to change,” she tells Lexa.

“Bathroom is yours,” Lexa replies.

Clarke takes her clothes and makes her way into the bathroom. She changes and quickly freshens up. Lexa doesn’t have a spare tooth paste, but the mouth wash will suffice for now. Clarke checks herself once over before making her way back out. Lexa’s sitting on the edge of the bed, and already changed out her PJ’s.

“I can clean these for you,” Clarke saying, holding up Lexa’s clothes she’s worn, “And return them to you whenever I see you next.”

Lexa shakes her head and steps toward her. She takes the clothes and tosses them into the basket in the corner of the room. “So you’re going to meet Ava and your parents now?” she asks.

Clarke nods and walks to Lexa. “I think they want to go to the Farmer’s Market today,” she replies. She wraps her arms around Lexa’s shoulder, and Lexa responds by wrapping her own arms around Clarke’s waist. “I had a really good time with you,” Clarke whispers.

“Even though we had to stay in?”

Clarke nods. “I had a great time still.” She leans until their lips are just a breath a part, “A _really_ great time,” she repeats.

Lexa smiles and closes the distance between them. This kiss isn’t anything but a moment for them both to connect. This kiss for Clarke is to reassure Lexa that she’s in this 100%. And Clarke’s pretty sure Lexa’s telling her the exact same thing.

Clarke pulls away from the kiss, but pulls Lexa in for a hug. “I should go,” she whispers.

Lexa nods and holds onto the hug for a moment longer. A minute later, Lexa is guiding them out of the bedroom hand in hand. They come to a stop at the living room, “Mia, say goodbye to Clarke.”

Mia turns around on the couch and waves. “Bye Clarke! Thanks for breakfast!”

Clarke smiles and waves as well. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mia.”

Lexa walks her out of the house and to her car. Clarke hops in, starts the engine and rolls down her window. “Have you a good day.”

Lexa leans through the window and kisses her again. The angle is a little awkward but Clarke will take awkward angles any day if It means kissing Lexa. “You too, Clarke,” Lexa whispers as she pulls back. “Drive safely.”

“Will do,” Clarke smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are at the (unofficial) half way point of this story! :) i don't want to set an amount of chapters until im a little more sure, but yeah. i'm excited to share the rest of this story with you. as always, thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lexa talks to mia and aden, clarke talks to ava and they (finally) get their first "proper" date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is for everyone who's hurting after yesterday's election. it's not going to change anything but if it's something that you can find a moment of whatever you need in, then it's here for you. 
> 
> i'm so sorry. please don't ever forget that you are valid, you are loved, you are not alone and that you fucking matter.
> 
> ste yuj

One Tuesday afternoon Lexa invites Clarke and Ava out to try out a new ice-cream store that just opened across from the florist. Mia and Aden have been asking her for about a week now and she finally has some time since the work load in the store has settled down a little.

Lexa waits with Mia and Aden in the florist since Clarke had to stay back at school for just a bit before coming. She’s just wrapping two small bouquets the twins have put together for Clarke and Ava. For Clarke, Aden picks out a few white and purple daises (despite Lexa’s best efforts to change it up a bit. “But they’re her favourite,” he argues). And for Ava, Mia’s chosen a few red tulips.

“Mama! I see Ava!” Mia shouts throughout the store.

Lexa looks out the window to see Clarke and Ava waving. She waves back before looking back to the twins, “Aden, Mia, come grab a bouquet each so you can give them to Clarke and Ava.” Her kids are quick to respond, both running up to her and taking the flowers.

“Can we go get some ice-cream now?” Aden asks.

Lexa nods. “We sure can.” She says a goodbye to her employees before going out to greet Clarke and Ava.

“Hey,” Clarke greets, “Sorry we’re a little late.”

“It’s no problem,” Lexa smiles.

Aden steps up first, handing Clarke the flowers. “These are for you,” he grins.

“These for you too,” Mia says, handing her bouquet to Ava.

Clarke places her hand over her heart and kneels down to the twin’s level. She smiles, “These are great, thank you Mia, thank you Aden.”

“Thank you Mia and Aden!” Ava grins as well.

The five of them walk over to the store, stepping inside and marvelling at the range of choices before them. The kids walk right up to the glass, pointing at all the flavours and the different colours. Thankfully, there isn’t anyone else at the line so they can take their time in choosing what they want.

“Would you guys like the try some flavours?” Rita, the woman behind the counter asks.

“Yes please!” Mia replies. She points to the glass, “Can I please try the pink one?”

“This one?” Rita asks. When Mia nods in response and points to one of the selectopms. Rita takes a small wooden paddle and gathers a little bit before handing it over.

Ava and Aden then asks for some samples too. After a few more tastings and a couple of minutes later, Rita prepares cones for all of them and Lexa is paying the for the ice cream. There’s an empty booth in the corner which they quickly make their way towards.

The kids all sit next to each other, with Mia going in first, then Aden, then Ava. Lexa gestures for Clarke to take a seat first but she’s quick to shake her head.

“You first,” Clarke smiles.

Lexa raises an eyebrow but doesn’t fight it, taking a seat and scooting over enough so Clarke is comfortable. It’s not even a couple of seconds later that Lexa realises why Clarke insisted she sit first. With Clarke being left handed and Lexa being right handed it allows them to hold hands under the table. It makes Lexa feel all giddy and she’s sure she’s blushing, but it’s not like she minds.

At first, Mia, Aden and Ava share what they’ve done throughout the day. While it’s almost the same thing everyday, it’s a conversation Lexa will never get tired of. Listening to the kids talk about their day with such excitement (most of the time) is something that brings her an immense amount of joy. There is something truly magical about watching and being a part of their learning and growing.

As the kids fall into their own conversation, Lexa looks over to Clarke. “So how was your day?”

Clarke licks the ice cream from her lips, “It was good. Perfect now that we’re here with you.”

“Okay smooth talker,” Lexa laughs.

“We worked a lot more on the play today,” Clarke explains, “And the kids are so excited. I think you’re really going to love it.”

“I’m sure it’s great. It’s all Mia and Aden talk about at home.”

Clarke laughs. “How was work?” There’s a small pause as she takes another lick of her ice cream. “Should I even bother asking? You spend your day around beautiful flowers, what’s not to love?”

“You’re exactly right.” Lexa smiles and takes another lick herself. She goes on to tell Clarke about a few of the customers that came through during the day. The most interesting one would be George, whose an older gentleman that’s become one of her regulars. George comes into the store every day, buys a bouquet and goes to the park to hand out the flowers on his daily walk.

“He sounds like a sweet man,” Clarke smiles.

Whenever Clarke smiles, Lexa can’t help but do the same. There is this joy and brightness that Clarke brings to the conversation, one that settles Lexa no matter the situation. “He is,” Lexa replies. “I’ve had some of those people eventually find the store and say that it was George who convinced them to come.”

“Free advertising,” Clarke laughs. “Should probably start paying him.”

Lexa laughs. “Yeah, I probably should, shouldn’t I?”

Clarke hums in response and looks across to the kids. “How’s the ice cream?”

Aden gives a thumbs up as he takes the first bite into the cone. Mia also takes a bite before praising it like nothing she’s ever tasted before. And Ava has her little palm over her forehead, with her eyes scrunching as she whispers, “Brain freeeeeeze.”

Lexa chuckles softly, passing over a tissue to her daughter as the ice cream starts to dribble from her lips.

Clarke turns back to Lexa and leans in just slightly, “So when I can I take you out on a proper date?” she whispers.

The kids all seem to be immersed in enjoying their ice-cream so they don’t hear the question, but it still makes Lexa feel butterflies. She gives Clarke’s hand a small squeeze but before she can respond, someone’s phone is ringing.

“Sorry,” Clarke whispers. “That’s me.”

“It’s okay,” Lexa reassures. She watches as Clarke lets go of her hand to find her phone.

“ _What’s up Raven_?” Clarke greets. “ _Again? Yeah we are… I’m just with Lexa and the kids… Yeah…. Yeah I’ll come home now… Alright see you soon…”_

“Got to go?” Lexa asks as Clarke hangs up the call.

Clarke pouts a little. “Unfortunately. Raven forgot her key and needs to get into the apartment,” she explains. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“I’ll give you call later?”

Lexa smiles and nods. “Sounds good.”

Clarke then turns and looks to Ava, “Sweetie, we got to go. Aunt Raven forgot her key.”

“Again?” Ava laughs.

Clarke nods. Everyone then exchanges their goodbyes and within a couple of minutes it’s just Lexa and the twins. They don’t spend much longer in the ice-cream store though, deciding to go home before the they get caught in the middle of peak hour traffic.

 

Later in the night, they’re all in the living room watching an episode of All Star Family Feud. Lexa is sitting in the middle with Mia and Aden cuddling by either side. They’re in a fit of laughter as one of the contestants gives the answer “hamster” to the question of what you could find in a bird cage.

“That’s so silly,” Mia comments.

Aden nods along and continues to laugh. “Why would a hamster be in a bird cage?”

Not surprisingly the answer isn’t on the board and the other team wins the round. When the commercials plays, Mia peels herself away and stretches her arms above her head.

“Tired?” Lexa asks.

Mia shakes her head. “Mama, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Are you and Miss Cl– Clarke girlfriends?”

Lexa smiles and sits up a little straighter on the couch. She turns the volume down on the TV and shakes her head. “No… not _yet.”_

“What does that mean?” Aden asks.

Lexa stands up from the couch and prompts Mia and Aden to sit a little closer to each other. She then grabs one of the pillows and sits on the ground, facing her kids so that she can look at them both while they talk.

“When you’re older and you meet someone you really like, you don’t jump right into being girlfriends or boyfriends,” Lexa explains.

“You don’t?” Mia asks.

Lexa shakes her head. “It takes time,” she replies. “You know how you and Ava are like best friends now?” Mia nods. “Were you best friends right away?”

Mia takes a moment to think about it before shaking her head. “We were friends first.”

“So it’s kind of like that,” Lexa says.

Aden tilts his head to the side a little. “So you and Clarke are just friends? How long till you become girlfriends?”

Lexa smiles. “We’re a little more than friends at this point. And as for how long till we become girlfriends, that really just depends.” She pauses and reaches for both of their hands, giving it a small squeeze. “It takes time to get to know each other, to really make sure we like each other.”

“So that’s why you go on dates and spend a lot of time together…” Aden whispers.

“Yeah,” Lexa nods. “So right now, Clarke and I are dating but we’re taking things slow. It’s not just us we have to think about. You both and Ava are a part of this too.”

“I like Clarke and I like Ava,” Mia smiles.

Aden nods. “Me too.”

“I know,” Lexa chuckles, “I like them both too. That’s why we have to take things slow.” She pauses to watch her kids nod and process what she’s saying. Aden looks as if he’s about to say something, but it seems like the words catch in his throat. “What’s wrong?”

Aden doesn’t respond straight away. “Will you and Clarke be like you and mum?”

“What do you mean?” Lexa asks quietly.

“You and mum were married and we all lived together…” Aden whispers. “Are we going to live with Clarke and Ava?”

“That would be so cool!” Mia screams happily.

Lexa smiles softly. “We’re a long way from that, but maybe one day, if it all works out.” She gives Aden’s hand another small squeeze. “But nothing will happen until we’re _all_ ready.”

“Does that mean Clarke is going to be our mum too?” Mia asks.

This catches Lexa a little off guard. While it’s a question she knew was going to come, she just hasn’t been able to think about what she would say in response. “That’s not something I can answer right now,” she replies honestly. “But when the time comes, we’ll talk about it.”

“Okay,” Mia whispers.

Lexa can tell that the twins still have something on their mind, because it’s on her mind as well. The talk about the possibility of Clarke being a mother to the twins too has her mind racing towards Costia. She knows that if and when the time comes, Clarke wouldn’t be replacing Costia. Costia will always be the mother of her children, but she’s not here anymore – Clarke is.

“But mum will always be your mum,” Lexa whispers, “No one will replace her.” She gets on her knees and takes Mia and Aden’s hands again, “If it ever gets too much, or you’re worried or scared about any of this, tell me.” Mia nods and offers a reassuring smile, whereas Aden jumps off the couch and heads towards the bookshelf. “Aden? What are you doing?”

 “One second!” he calls back. Aden runs his fingers along the shelf before grabbing one of the photo albums. He returns back and hands it over to Lexa. “Can we look at some old photos?”

Lexa smiles. “Of course.” She sits back on the couch between her kids, and opens up the photo album. It’s one of the first family albums, the one with photos of her and Costia even before they were married. They go through the album with Lexa telling the stories behind a few of them (again). It’s not like Mia and Aden don’t know them already, but she doesn’t mind telling them again.

 

* * *

 

After preparing her bag and work things for the following day, Clarke makes her way out of her room to see Raven helping Ava with her homework. She walks past the table they’re working on, kissing the top of Ava’s head before walking into the kitchen. “Nearly done?” she asks.

“Yeah,” Raven replies. “Just got to write three more words.”

“Aunt Raven says that my writing is nicer than yours mum,” Ava laughs.

Clarke laughs too.

“It is,” Raven confirms. “Your mum’s writing is a mess.”

“HEY!” Clarke calls out.

“You can’t deny it, Clarke.” Raven pauses to help Ava with the next word for a moment. “Your writing is one step above a doctor’s to be honest.”

“Except grandma’s,” Ava points out. “Grandma has nice writing too.”

Raven nods along and Clarke makes herself some tea. She simply watches Ava do her homework, with Raven helping wherever she can. Usually Clarke’s the one who would be sitting with her daughter but Raven likes to help from time to time.

About fifteen minutes later Clarke and Raven are on the couch, mindlessly chatting as Ava sits at the coffee table, colouring in through her activity book.

“Sorry for dragging you away from your date,” Raven whispers, not taking her eyes off of Ava.

Clarke shakes her head. “It’s okay.” She turns to Raven and is about to say something else when she catches her best friend smirking right at her. “What?” Clarke asks.

“So you’re not denying it was a date?”

Clarke rolls her eyes. “We are dating.”

“Going to have ice-cream after schools sounds like a cute little family date.”

Clarke smiles to herself mostly, because though short lived, it was really nice. Spending alone time with Lexa is great, but spending time together with their kids is a whole other thing. With the way Clarke wants things to go with Lexa, spending time all together is so important.

“You guys haven’t even been out on a proper date yet, have you?” Raven points out.

Clarke shakes her head slightly. “We’ve been out a few times, but yeah, I don’t think we’ve had a ‘proper’ first date yet.”

“Why?”

“It’s just timing,” Clarke replies. “But hopefully soon.”

Before Raven can reply, Ava turns to her mum and asks without a beat, “Are you and Lexa girlfriends yet?”

It surprises her how forward the question is, but Ava seems to ask it so casually. She turns back to her colouring book, looking back and forth waiting for a reply and Clarke staggers for a moment. Clarke then turns to Raven, who’s biting her bottom lip trying to stifle her grin.

“That’s my cue to leave,” Raven whispers. She gathers her things and leans a little closer to Clarke, “Have the talk with her.”

Clarke nods and waits as Raven retreats to her room. While she has spoken to Ava a little here and there about Lexa, she guesses it’s about time to have a proper conversation. Ava knows about the dates she’s been on before, and also met Niylah when things were getting serious. But with Lexa it’s a little different (for them both).

“Hey sweetie,” Clarke says, “Come here.” She pats the empty side of the couch and waits as Ava joins her. They turn to face each other, with Clarke tucking Ava’s hair behind her ears. “So you know Lexa and I are dating, right?”

Ava nods. “But you’re not girlfriends yet?” she asks. “I asked Lexa if you were when we went to the beach house and she said that it takes time.”

Clarke nods. “It does take time.”

“She also said that she hopes that you two become girlfriends.”

Clarke almost feels herself blush. “She did?”

“Yeah,” Ava replies. “I hope you become girlfriends too.”

Clarke can’t help but lean forward to kiss the top of Ava’s head. “Me too, baby girl.”

“Will it be like when you and Niylah were together?” Ava asks.

Clarke nods. “Something like that.”

“So we’ll get to spend a lot of time with her? Have dinners together?” Clarke nods and Ava continues, “Can we have sleepovers too?”

Clarke lets out a small chuckle. “If Lexa’s okay with it, then of course.” She reaches to Ava’s hands and gives them a reassuring squeeze.

“Lexa promised me she wasn’t going to leave,” Ava whispers. “I don’t want her to leave…”

Clarke knows that Ava is probably thinking about Niylah and there’s always a small pang in her chest whenever it comes up. She pulls Ava onto her lap and keeps her close, “You don’t have to worry about that,” she whispers, “Lexa promised me too.”

“She did?”

Clarke nods. “It’s going to be different this time around,” she replies. The words come out so naturally and she really doesn’t feel any concern or hesitation afterwards. “I just have to ask, if Lexa and I are going to become girlfriends, are you okay with that?”

“Yes,” Ava replies immediately. She hops off the couch and faces her mum again, “Lexa makes me really happy and I think she makes you really happy too.”

Clarke smiles. “She does.”

“Do Mia and Aden?”

“Make me happy?” Clarke asks.

Ava nods.

“They do,” Clarke smiles. “They all make me very happy.”

“Do you think we make them happy?” Ava asks quietly.

Clarke nods. “I’m pretty sure we do.”

“Can we ask her?”

“Now?”

Ava nods excitedly, “Pleeeeeease.”

Clarke looks over to the clock, and seeing that it wasn’t late yet she figures it wouldn’t hurt. She reaches over to the coffee table, grabs her phone, and she gets Lexa on a FaceTime call. Both Clarke and Ava both manoeuvre themselves so that they’re sitting next to each other.

“ _Hey,”_ Lexa greets as her face pops up on the phone. Mia and Aden are also on the screen, waving, almost yelling their hellos as well. Lexa settles them down for a moment before making sure that they’re in the camera.

Ava quickly grabs to phone from Clarke’s hands and smiles. “Hi Lexa! Hi Aden! Hi Mia!” The three on the other end of the call all smile back before Ava continues. “What are you guys up to?”

“ _We were watching Family Feud,”_ Aden replies. “ _And there was this question ‘_ What do you find in a bird cage’ _and the lady screamed ‘HAMSTER.’”_

“Why would a hamster be in a birdcage?” Ava asks.

The twins both shrug. “ _Now we’re just looking at some family photos_ ,” Mia continues. “ _What are you doing?”_

“Not a lot.”

“ _What did you guys have for dinner?”_ Lexa asks.

“Chicken shih-tzu,” Ava replies rather confidently.

Clarke lets out a burst of laughter, as does Lexa. “Oh sweetie, it’s _schnitzel. Shih-Tzu_ is the dog.”

“Ohh right,” Ava laughs. “Chicken schnitzel,” she repeats.

“ _You’re one funny monkey,_ ” Lexa smiles.

Mia almost gasps in excitement, _“Funny monkey! That rhymes!”_

For the next couple of minutes Clarke watches as Ava, Mia and Aden take much of the conversation. The topics they talk about are completely random but somehow they manage to keep it flowing for the time being. Clarke just sits there watching Lexa mostly, and the smile on her face just grows.

 _“So what is this reason for this lovely call?”_ Lexa eventually asks.

“I wanted to ask you all something,” Ava replies. “If that’s okay?”

“ _Of course.”_

“Do we make you happy?”

Clarke bites her lip, waiting for Lexa to respond. It looks like the question definitely surprises her but it’s not long before Lexa is smiling.

“ _Of course,”_ Lexa replies. “ _You and your mum make us very happy.”_

 _“VERY happy,”_ Aden repeats.

“ _VERY VERY HAPPY,”_ Mia adds.

There’s a flutter in Clarke’s chest as she sees Ava smile in response. The topic quickly changes again and Clarke simply huddles herself a little closer to her daughter. She wraps her arm around Ava and leans her head in, listening to the conversation at hand. The kids are talking about one of the cartoon shows they watched the other day.

About fifteen minutes later both Clarke and Lexa are chasing the kids to go and brush their teeth. Ava is already off and Clarke remains on the couch, watching as Mia and Aden run off as well. When it’s just them, Clarke lets out a small content sigh. “Hi,” she whispers.

“ _Hey,”_ Lexa greets. “ _So did you put Ava up to asking that?”_

Clarke laughs. “No, no. That was all her.”

“ _Really now?”_

“Really,” Clarke laughs again. “But it’s nice to know that we make you happy.”

Lexa smiles and nods along. “ _You do, you and Ava make us very happy.”_

Clarke tries to hide how much she’s smiling by throwing her head to the side.

“ _You’re blushing, aren’t you?”_

“Shut up,” Clarke replies lightly.

 

* * *

 

The next couple of weeks become very busy for Lexa. The florist picks up an unexpected load of business which keeps her and her employees pretty busy. But it’s a good type of busy. She loves what she’s doing and the people she’s working with.  

For the most of it, Mia and Aden are great too. Like any other sibling relationship, they fight and argue but it’s generally over the little things. Lexa’s definitely found a good balance with work, school, the kids’ after school activities and her social life. They stick to their schedule and find a pace that they all are comfortable with.

And as for her and Clarke, they fit in small dates here and there. Since what was meant to be their first date, they just haven’t found the time to _actually_ go on a first date, but it’s okay. Their little coffee or lunch dates, or just simply going to the shops dates are enough for now. They’re still taking things slowly. Mia, Aden and Ava know about their budding relationship and they also know that they’re taking their time.

At least from what Lexa sees, Mia and Aden seem to be okay with her dating. But she is very cautious about it, considering this is the first time she’s dated since Costia. The twins don’t ask a lot, but when they do, Lexa listens and answers the best she can. She is always honest as well and encourages Mia and Aden to be honest too. If they have any concerns or worries, she wants to know.

 

* * *

 

Lexa and Clarke get their first, proper date about three weeks later after what was meant to be their “first” date. They’ve had smaller dates in between; lunch, coffee and hanging out here and there and they’ve been great. But they both consider today, their first actual date.

Having it reach the end of the year, Clarke’s just been pretty busy with teaching. And for Lexa, the florist has picked up quite a lot of business – which keeps her and her employees pretty busy too. But thankfully, their relationship is still growing and still going steady. Lexa sees Clarke almost every day and they try to spend some time with each other during the weekends.

Lexa, Mia and Aden make their way towards Clarke’s apartment. She doesn’t know what they’re doing today – all she was told was that Raven and Octavia would watch the kids while she and Clarke go out. To say she’s nervous would be an understatement. It’s been so long since she’s been on a date, and she’s just worried she’s going to make a fool of herself somehow.

“You look nervous,” Aden points out.

Lexa lets out a small chuckle. “I am. A little.”

“But this isn’t your first date with Clarke,” Mia says, “Why are you nervous?”

Lexa shrugs. “I can’t help it,” she smiles. Her twins have been nothing but great towards the news about her and Clarke. Mia and Aden are nosy when they want to be and it doesn’t help that Anya encourages them whenever they’re together. But “that’s what family are for” Anya argues.

When they reach Clarke’s door, Aden gives a few knocks. It’s just a couple moments later Raven is appearing on the other side with the widest grin on her face. “Jam tart! Squid!” she yells.

Mia and Aden both jump forward and hug Raven. Raven steps aside and lets them all in. Lexa’s been to Clarke’s apartment a couple of times, but she’s never really spent time inside. It’s a beautiful place, open, spacious with quite modern décor. Lexa also spots the bouquet of flowers she gave Clarke the other day on the coffee table.

Ava comes running down the hallway with Clarke right on her tail. “AVA JANE GRIFFIN!” Clarke yells, “COME BACK HERE!”

“AHHHH!”

Lexa can’t help but laugh at the sight. Clarke chases Ava around the apartment, seemingly unaware of her presence. Ava then runs towards her and hides behind her legs.

“Protect me!” Ava yells.

Lexa looks up to see Clarke basically giving up. “Hi,” she smiles.

Clarke smiles too. “Hi,” she huffs. “Sorry, it’s just _someone,_ ” Clarke looks to Ava rather dramatically, “Hasn’t brushed their teeth yet and it’s almost lunch time.”

“Are these flowers for me?!” Ava smirks.

Clarke points her index finger towards Ava, “Don’t try and change the subject, young lady.”

Lexa laughs again and holds up the bouquet of daises she’s brought. She turns and leans down towards Ava, “You know what, you go brush your teeth and all these flowers are yours,” she says.

“Really?” Ava asks.

Lexa nods. “I promise.”

“YAY!”

Ava runs off just a second later, with Mia following as well. Raven and Aden take a spot on the couch and flick on the TV for the time being.

When Lexa stands up again, she steps towards Clarke. “Hi,” she says again. She leans in for kiss on the cheek before pulling back, and handing Clarke the bouquet.

“Daises…” Clarke smiles, “My favourite. Sorry about Ava– she’s just very hyper this morning.”

Lexa laughs. “It’s okay.”

“If you’re ready to go, we can get going,” Clarke says.

Lexa nods. “Where are we going?”

Clarke shakes her head, grinning. “Nope, that’s still a surprise.”

“Okay, fair enough. Let me just say goodbye to the twins.” Lexa walks back to Aden, kisses the top of his head and tells him to listen to Raven. She’ll come by later in the evening to pick them up from Octavia’s house. Lexa then goes to find Mia, who’s in the bathroom with Ava. The girls giggle and laugh as Clarke tells them to behave for their aunt Raven.  It’s not long before Lexa is saying her goodbyes and they’re leaving the apartment.

With one wave to everyone, Clarke is walking them out of the apartment and assumedly, towards the garage. It’s a comfortable silence for them and Lexa takes the first move, taking Clarke’s hand once they come to a stop in front of the elevators. “How was your morning?” she asks.

Clarke smiles. “Busy. For some reason Ava just wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Oh I know those days well,” Lexa laughs. The elevators door open and they both step inside. But the moment the doors close, Clarke’s pins her against the wall and crashes their lips together. It takes less than a second for Lexa to let herself fall completely into the moment. It’s been just over a week since they’ve spent some quality time together and she just misses Clarke so much.

Lexa pulls at Clarke’s jacket, pulling her in and just kissing her with everything she’s got. When the kiss ends, Clarke pulls back just a breath, “Sorry,” she whispers, “I’ve just missed you a lot.”

“I’ve missed you too,” she replies. Lexa leans in for another quick kiss, before the elevators open with a small _ding._ Clarke takes her hand and walks them through the garage and towards the far end. “Do I get any clue to where we’re going today?” Lexa asks.

“Nope,” Clarke replies simply.

Clarke opens the door to the passenger side seat and Lexa takes that as a hint to stop asking questions. She’s not one for surprises usually, but with Clarke she feels excited for than anything else.  

 

They drive for about forty minutes before Lexa finds herself stepping out into what looks like the parking lot of a park. She’s never been in this area before but it’s beautiful. There is a peace and a quiet that surrounds the place, an atmosphere she knows that will be perfect for their day together.

Clarke steps around towards the back of the car, prompting Lexa to do the same. When the boot opens, Lexa sees Clarke pull out a small backpack and a picnic basket. She’s quick to offer a hand, but Clarke swats her hand away.

“Really?” Lexa laughs.

Clarke grins. “Let me _woo_ you.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know,” Clarke smiles. She closes the boot of the car and starts to guide them towards the entrance of the park. “I want this date to be perfect.”

Lexa reaches for Clarke’s hand. “It already is.”

“You’re such a sap, gee,” Clark teases.

Lexa gasps playfully and lets go of Clarke’s hand. “Alright, I see how it–” Her words are cut off as Lexa feels Clarke grab her hand and pull her in for another kiss. “It’s just one of the things that I… really like about you,” she whispers.

“Who’s the sap now?”

Clarke chuckles and they continue on hand in hand through the park. It’s a nice walk and even though she doesn’t know where they’re going, Lexa is already having a great time. Clarke points out every cute dog and every cute kid they pass and it makes her heart sing every time. 

Eventually they end up walking through some bushes, and there’s no clear path so Lexa is silently questioning it. But any reservations pass when she sees the small clearing they end up in. The bushes they just walked through provide a wall around an enclosed area, there’s a river that flows by them and a big Oaktree that fills most of the space.

“Come on,” Clarke whispers. She walks them over to under the tree and places the picnic basket down before swinging her backpack around so she can unzip it. Clarke takes out a blanket and Lexa is quick to help get it spread across the ground.

“A picnic?” Lexa asks, taking a seat.

Clarke nods. “I hope that’s okay. I just wanted to spend some time with you… Just _us.”_

“It’s perfect.” Lexa pauses as she sees Clarke open the picnic basket. “Wait, I didn’t see you put the basket or your bag in the car, how did you…”

“I have my ways,” Clarke winks.

“So what are we having for lunch?”

“Well…” Clarke trails off and starts to take out a few things, “I made some pretty great sandwiches, a chicken pasta salad, we’ve got a small cheese platter, some fruit and some brownies for dessert.”

Lexa nods, “Are we expecting more people? We’ve got enough food to feed at least five people.”

“Yeah, actually,” Clarke replies. She looks around the park, “The three other people I’m seeing should be here any minute…”

Lexa leans forward and shoves Clarke softly. “I hate you.”

Clarke grins. “No you don’t.” She snakes her hand around Lexa’s necks and pulls her in for another kiss.

Lexa scoots a little closer, cupping either side of Clarke’s face. She feels Clarke’s tongue run along her bottom lip and she almost moans into the kiss. Things get a little heated and she’s glad that there isn’t anyone around. She thinks that if she were with anyone else, she wouldn’t be making out in public. But… they are in a secluded area and god does kissing Clarke feel good.

 

* * *

 

 

“Okay, so most embarrassing high school memory?” Lexa asks. Half an hour later and they’re still eating, but they’re just taking their time and really getting to enjoy the time they have together. At this point they’ve talked a little bit about everything. Lexa really misses this, she misses getting to know someone like this.

Lexa cuts into the triple brie cheese, places it on a cracker and holds it up for Clarke. Clarke takes the cracker between her lips and hums softly. “I once called a teacher _mum_ ,” she says once she’s done chewing.

“That isn’t too bad…” Lexa replies.

“Well… yeah… I mean if I had called a female teacher _mum_ I guess…”

“No...”

Clarke nods. “Yeah, I accidently called my _male_ art teacher _mum_ … not only in front of the whole school but also in front of my mum.” Lexa bursts into laughter, which causes Clarke to huff. “It’s not funny, Lex.”

“It kind of is,” Lexa argues. “Why was it front of the school? _And_ in front of mum?”

“It was a school assembly,” Clarke explains. “Mr Lewis, my art teacher, was moving and I was asked to give him a present on behalf of the school. As I was finishing up my speech, I was meant to say _‘Thank you Mr Lewis’_ but I caught my mum’s eye in the crowd and ended up saying ‘ _Thank you mum.’”_

“Aww.” Lexa places her hand over her heart, “I’m guessing your friends didn’t let you forget it?” she asks.

Clarke laughs. “You guess right and my parents were just as bad. They reminded me every day for like the next two months. And they _still_ bring it up from time to time.” She pauses to grab a grape from the container. “Then when Year 12 graduation happened, Mr Lewis came back and reminded everyone _again_ about that slip up.”

“I like this Mr Lewis.”

“You’re meant to be on my side,” Clarke replies. They both share another small laugh and Clark takes a sip of her drink. “Okay, what about you? What’s your most embarrassing high school story?”

Lexa finishes her drink and places her cup down on the blanket. She lets out a small sigh and smiles, recalling her most embarrassing story from high school. But that smile slowly fades as she tries to decide whether or not she’s going to tell Clarke. It’s not that she doesn’t want to, it’s just that even though she hasn’t dated in a while – bringing up her late wife is probably not something you’re meant to do on dates.

But Clarke notices her silent pauses and reaches out. “Hey, are you okay?”

Lexa nods immediately. “Sorry,” she whispers.

“It’s okay. Where did you go?”

Lexa looks down to their hands, their fingers intertwining slowly. “My most embarrassing moment in high school was when I tried impressing Costia…” She doesn’t dare to look up to Clarke. While she feels comfortable enough talking about it, she doesn’t know how Clarke feels about it yet.

But then Clarke lifts Lexa’s chin up and offers the most reassuring smile that settles Lexa’s nerves. “I’d love to hear it, if it’s a story you don’t mind sharing,” she says.

“Really?”

Clarke nods. “She’s a big part of life, Lex and a big part of Mia and Aden’s.” She gives Lexa’s hand a small squeeze. “I want to know everything there is to know about you. But if Costia’s something that you’re not ready to talk about, then that’s okay. I don’t want to push you, or pressure you. I just want you to know that I’m here and I’m in this 100%.”

“Clarke…”

“I mean it,” Clarke replies. “I know we haven’t been together long, but it feels like I’ve known you my whole life. If I’m moving too fast or scaring you with what I’m saying, just tell me to stop.” She pauses and waits a moment before continuing, “I just want you to know where I stand because I’ve never been _this_ sure about my feelings for anyone.”

Lexa brings Clarke’s hand to her lips, kissing them softly before letting out a small, content sigh. Sometimes she still has trouble believing that she’s found someone like Clarke, someone who is loving, caring, kind, someone who Lexa can see herself with. Like Clarke said, they haven’t known each other for long but she finds herself feeling very sure about her feelings as well.

Lexa brings her hand to cup the side of Clarke’s face, “I’m in this 100% too,” she whispers. The two of them lean in and share a tender kiss. There’s no urgency or need to rush it, their lips move slowly and with purpose and their connection strengthens in the moment.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of telling me your most embarrassing story,” Clarke teases when the kiss ends.

Lexa smiles and pulls back as well. “I just started year 11 and she was the new kid in year 12.”

“I bet she was all over you in an instant.”

“Not really,” Lexa laughs. All her nerves from earlier slowly disappear and she just lets out another content sigh. “It was the second week of school and we were having basketball tryouts.”

“Had you spoken to her yet?” Clarke asks.

Lexa shakes her head. “Took me my surprise when she showed up at the basketball courts. So much so that when we were playing a game, I ended up shooting for the other team, _twice_.”

“No…” Clarke whispers.

Lexa laughs. “Yeah, and I couldn’t hide it. Couch completely called me out because I’ve been on the team since Year 8 and my friends just made it so obvious that it was because of Costia.”

“What did you do?”

“I did what any other embarrassed teen with a crush would do,” Lexa replies, “I avoided Costia for as long as I could.”

Clarke chuckles. “And how long did that last?”

“About a week.” Lexa pauses and takes another drink. “Our accelerated maths class was held before school started and I was waiting outside the class room one morning, minding my own business when she kind of showed up out of nowhere.” She pauses and smiles. “She sat right next to me, offered me a half her muffin and straight up asked me why I was avoiding her.”

“And what did you say?”

“I took a chance and told her the truth.”

“That you couldn’t control your big gay heart?”

Lexa laughs again. “A little more eloquently than that, but yeah. But it didn’t go very smoothly.”

“Oh no…”

“The moment I told her the truth, other kids came to class as did our teacher,” Lexa explains. “After class I all but sprinted away.”

“So you started avoiding her again, right after she called you out for doing it the first time?” Clarke asks.

Lexa nods. “Basically and I was a mess that whole day.”

“I bet you were,” Clarke laughs.

“I thought I was in the clear as I took a seat on the bus but just as the doors were closing, Costia ran through them and took a seat right next to me.”

“It wasn’t her bus, was it?”

Lexa shakes her head. “She didn’t say anything and I didn’t know what to say. So, when we got to my stop we both walked out, waited for the bus to go and she kissed me.” It wasn’t her first kiss, but it’s a kiss that she’ll remember for the rest of her life. It’s a kiss that changed her life. Lexa’s had a total of two life-changing kisses; one of them with Costia and the other one was with Clarke.

“Twelve years you guys were together…”

Lexa nods along. “She was the love of my life,” she whispers before she can stop herself. “Sorry, I–”

“–No, don’t apologise,” Clarke cuts. She moves so that she’s kneeling right in front of Lexa, cupping both side of her face. “Costia was the love of your life,” Clarke repeats. “She was your wife, the mother of your beautiful children. You’re allowed to talk about her and you’re allowed to hold on to and cherish the memories you have.”

Lexa doesn’t know what to say. Every step she and Clarke take in their relationship is new to her and a little over whelming. But it’s a good type of over whelming. It’s a type of feeling that excites her, but also settles her. She’s so ready to start this new chapter of her life with Clarke.

“And you’re allowed to still love her,” Clarke continues. “That’s how the ones we lose, live on.”

“You’re an amazing woman, Clarke Griffin.”

 

* * *

 

“Is it weird working with your dad?”

Clarke shakes her head immediately. “At the beginning it was a little weird. But that quickly passed.”

“He’s a great principal,” Lexa replies. Jake Griffin is someone who she’s come to admire a lot since she’s moved to Arkadia. Every time she sees him, he’s always smiling and happy. It’s no secret that he loves what he does and that he’s really good at it too. “Does he… and your mum know about us?”

“Not yet,” Clarke replies. “I asked Ava to just not say anything yet. Not until we were ready.”

“Thank you.”

“Your parents?”

“They don’t know yet either,” Lexa replies.

Clarke smiles. “How long do you think until one the kids accidently lets it slip?”

“I’m betting that Anya might actually be the one to let it slip,” Lexa jokes.

 

* * *

 

“What’s the worst trouble you got into at school?” Clarke asks.

Lexa stretches her arms above her head and hums for a moment. “I was school captain in Year 12 and I got caught with about $5,000 in cash.”

Clarke’s eyes widen. “Like, cold, hard cash?”

Lexa nods. “It’s not what you think. I wasn’t doing anything bad.” She pauses and lets out a small sigh. It’s not a bad story, it’s just a story that still has a huge impact on her today. It’s one of the stories that will always tug at a few heart strings. Clarke reaches for her hand, giving it a small squeeze.

“My vice-captain was diagnosed with cancer pretty early on in the year,” Lexa says, “But she kept it a secret for a while. She was a good friend of mine and I knew something was up. There was a big change in her mentally, physically, emotionally.”

“I can imagine,” Clarke whispers.

“I found out she was trying to sell her car, so I went to ask her about it.” Lexa pauses. “She worked so hard so that car so I knew that something was wrong.”

“I’m guessing she told you about it?” Clarke asks.

Lexa nods. “After school we went to the park and she told me all about it. It was just her and her mum at the time, and her mum started working two jobs to try and pay for the treatment.”

“And she was going to sell her car…”

“Yeah,” Lexa replies. “But I wasn’t going to let her do that. She worked hard and studied hard, she was the first person in our year to buy a car with her own money.”

“This is where the money comes in?” Clarke asks quietly.

“The next day she told a few of our closest friends and we all pitched in what we could.” Lexa pauses again and swallows the lump in the throat, remembering the days very clearly. It was only a couple of hundreds of dollars at first but it was something. “Someone else eventually found the car ad and word started to spread. Next thing I knew, other friends and other students were coming to me and handing me cash to pass on.”

“Wow…”

Lexa hums in response. “No one wanted her to lose her car so by the end of the first week I had about $5000. We were going to surprise her with it that Friday, everyone that gave something was going to come to our area and show their support.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming in?”

“Because there is,” Lexa replies. “But, during the periods before lunch I was called into the principal’s office. Apparently, some kids saw me with the large ward of cash and was concerned with what was going on. I mean fair enough, so I told them the whole story. It was a big deal and everyone at school was eventually talking about it.”

“It worked out in the end, right?”

Lexa nods and offers a small smile. “Some of the teachers put my captaincy in question and I almost lost it. But thankfully, I didn’t and they gave us back the money a couple of days later.”

“Is she okay?” Clarke asks, hesitantly.

“She was,” Lexa replies. “She got the treatment and fought for the rest of the year. But she had a surgery at the end of the year and…” She pauses. “She didn’t make it.”

“Oh Lex…” Clarke comes closer, pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Lexa takes a moment to compose herself. Once she thinks she’s okay, she leans ack from the hug. “She was a fighter; someone I’m going to remember for the rest of my life. Mia’s actually named after her.”

“Really?”

Lexa nods. “My friend’s name was Mia Huntley. I still talk to her mum from time to time, to catch up.”

“That’s lovely.” She pauses and gives Lexa’s hand another reassuring squeeze. “Is Aden named after anyone?”

“Actually he is,” Lexa smiles. “After Costia’s brother; Aden Winters. He was a firefighter and let me tell you… the first time I met him I made a complete fool of myself…”

 

* * *

 

“Wait, so you actually give Mia and Aden the wrong sandwiches on purpose?” Clarke asks.

Lexa laughs, “Yeah, I do.” She goes on to explain the whole reason behind it. When they were in kindergarten, Mia and Aden fell into an argument about who was going to sleep on the bunk bed (in their apartment back in Polis). Both Lexa and Costia thought that they would get past it, and that they would come up with some sort of compromise.

But it didn’t pass.

Mia and Aden didn’t talk to each other for two days and the school even contacted Lexa at the time to see what was wrong. Eventually they did come up with a solution, with Aden giving up the top bunk after Mia apologising for giving him the silent treatment.

But to make sure that something like that never happened again, Costia started switching the twin’s lunches since Mia hates PB&J and Aden hates Nutella. It was just to make sure they talked to each other during the day.

“Aden hates Nutella?” Clarke asks. “No kid hates Nutella.”

“He just doesn’t like it,” Lexa shrugs.

“That’s absurd.”

“He does love his PB&J though.”

“I’ve noticed,” Clarke laughs. “I’d choose PB&J over Nutella though.”

Lexa places her hand over heart to mock being offended. “You were doing so well, Clarke. You won some major points when I found out that you like pineapple on pizza but you’ve just lost some now.”

“You don’t like PB&J?”

“I do. But to choose it over Nutella,” Lexa shakes her head, “How could you do that?”

“Aden and I can totally take on you, Mia and Ava.”

“Ava would choose Nutella too?”

Clarke nods. “She would.”

Lexa balls her hand into a fist and cheers softly, “Yessss.”

A small, comfortable silence falls between them and Lexa’s heart flutters. Every moment of this date has been perfect and she honestly doesn’t want it to ever end. Clarke leans in and Lexa is quick to do the same. The kiss doesn’t last long but they remain close, with Lexa bumping her nose over Clarke’s and smiling.

“I’d choose you over Nutella though,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke laughs. “That’s good to know.”

 

* * *

 

“I’m thinking about getting Mia and Aden a dog for Christmas,” Lexa whispers. They’re both lying down at this point, and Clarke is resting her head on Lexa’s stomach. They’re holding each other’s hands and starring up into the sky.

“Yeah?”

Lexa hums in response. “We couldn’t have one in Polis because of the building we were living in. But now we have the space, time and capabilities.”

“I think that would be a great present for them.”

“Would you like to come visit some rescue shelters later?” Lexa asks.

“I would love to.”

 

* * *

 

“How’s the Christmas play coming along?” Lexa asks.

“Really well,” Clarke replies with a large grin.

Lexa grins as well, seeing how Clarke’s face just lights up. Mia and Aden come home from school almost everyday yelling and screaming about how excited they are for the play. The skit itself sounds amazing and Lexa is so excited to see what they’ve been working so hard on.

“I’m excited to see it.”

“I’m excited for you to see it as well,” Clarke replies. “Mia and Aden, they’ve got a future in acting if that’s something they’re interested in.”

 

* * *

 

Lexa bites her lip, and tries to do everything she can to stop herself from laughing. But when Clarke’s standing up and shaking her foot like a mad woman, it’s hard not to react.

“This isn’t funny Lexa!”

“It kind of is,” Lexa counters playfully.

“Pins and needles suck.”

Lexa laughs again. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be laughing.”

“Yeah you shouldn’t be.”

It takes another couple of seconds before Clarke manages to shake the feeling away. She pouts, “I hate you.”

“I highly doubt that,” Lexa smiles. “Are they gone now?”

“Yeah,” Clarke replies. She makes her way to sit behind Lexa, urging her to settle between Clarke’s legs. Clarke wraps her arms around Lexa’s waist and kisses the crook of Lexa’s neck softly. “What were we talking about again?”

Lexa smiles and leans back into Clarke’s embrace. There’s something about the way Clarke hold her that makes her feel butterflies in her stomach. She hums softly, “You were telling me about Ava’s first words.”

“Right, right.” Clarke clears her throat, “Raven will tell you that Ava’s first word was _Ray,_ but it actually was _shoe.”_

“That’s so random.”

Clarke nods and rests her chin on Lexa’s shoulder. “And Mia and Aden’s first words weren’t?” she laughs. “ _Apple_ and _bed_ are pretty random too, Lex.”

 

* * *

 

Lexa’s now the one resting her head on Clarke’s stomach. They’re both pointing out random clouds in the sky, trying to figure what they look like. It’s been a great couple of hours and she really couldn’t have asked for a better first date. She takes Clarke’s hand, intertwining their fingers together. “Thank you for today,” she whispers.

Clarke gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m having a really good time with you.”

Lexa lifts herself up off Clarke’s stomach, coming to lay on her belly beside Clarke. She props her elbows up and rests her head in her hands, “I’m having a really good time too,” she repeats. “What time is it?”

Clarke lifts her hand so that she can check her watch, “Nearly 4.” Just at that moment, she gets a message from Raven. It doesn’t take long for Clarke to read it before she’s turning back to Lexa. “Change of plans, Raven and O are going to take the kids out to dinner and a movie tonight.”

“Did she say when it ends?” Lexa asks.

Clarke starts to respond to Raven’s text. “One second…” She pauses and waits. “Raven said she can drop off Mia and Aden at around 10, if that’s okay with you.”

Lexa nods, “That’s fine.” She more than comfortable with leaving Mia and Aden with Raven a little longer than intended. Raven will undoubtedly look after Mia and Aden like they were her kids. Raven might be a little intense at times but she’s fiercely loyal to those she loves. Lexa’s really glad that their lives have fallen on the same road.

It’s another half a minute before Clarke puts away her phone, “They’re going to watch Storks…. which means I get to have you a little while longer.”

Lexa grins and leans down so that her lips are hovering of Clarke’s. They’re not quite kissing, but it feels like an intimate moment – at least for Lexa. “You can have me for as long as you like, Clarke Griffin,” she whispers.

 

About half an hour later they decide to head back. They still have plenty of food left over from lunch, so it’s an easy decision to head back to Lexa’s for dinner. Even though Lexa’s car is still at Clarke’s apartment, Clarke offers to drop it off the next day since it’ll be inconvenient for them to go back and forth today.

When they get to Lexa’s place it’s just before 5:30pm. “Are you hungry yet?” Clarke asks, stepping inside the house.

Lexa shakes her head and locks the door. They both make their way to the kitchen, settle down the basket and bags and eventually end up in each other’s arms. Lexa loves hugging Clarke, it’s as simple as that. Clarke always pulls her impossibly closer and it leaves Lexa feeling like she’s both desired and _wanted._

When Clarke pulls back from the hug, she peppers kisses across Lexa’s jaw. “Best first date ever,” she whispers.

Lexa can’t resist the urge to tilt her head to the side, which prompts Clarke to trail the kisses down towards her pulse point. “Clarke…” she breathes. But Clarke doesn’t look up to her, instead starts to suck at her pulse point. Both of Lexa’s hands cup Clarke’s face, bringing her back up so that they’re face to face again. What she sees in Clarke’s expression is something new; pupils blown, lips slightly parted, chest noticeably rising and falling.

Clarke leans in, slowly taking Lexa’s bottom lip between her own. Before Lexa can react properly or respond, Clarke’s pushing her against the countertop and pressing their bodies together. The kiss quickens, hands begin to roam and Lexa becomes weak in the knees (she’d definitely be on the floor if it wasn’t for Clarke’s body holding her up).

At the first chance she gets, Lexa pushes Clarke towards the living room. Their lips try to stay connected, but it’s a little clumsy and messy and has them both giggling as they fall onto the couch. Clarke hovers over Lexa, supporting herself as her hands settle at the either side of Lexa’s head.

“You’re so beautiful,” Lexa whispers, moving Clarke’s hair away from her face. “So beautiful.”

“So are you,” Clarke replies. She leans down and closes the distance between them completely again. Their legs tangle between each other, their bodies melding into one and their kisses become more than just about the physical contact. For Lexa, as much as there is a want and a need to be connected to Clarke, there’s also something else that she can’t quite explain.

Lexa trails her hands towards Clarke’s waist, just feeling Clarke move against her. The occasional moan slips from her lips, which only encourages Clarke to grind down a little more (not that she’s complaining). While they have kissed and shared a bed before, this is already a new level of intimacy for them both.

It’s been a long time since Lexa’s been intimate with anyone but the thing that surprises her is that she isn’t scared or worried. Every fibre of her being trust Clarke, every fibre of her being as _wants_ Clarke. Lexa wraps her legs around Clarke’s body and moves her hands just under Clarke’s shirt. “Is this okay?” she asks with a quick breath.

Clarke simply nods and kisses her again. Another moan escape Lexa’s lips as her hands begin to roam the smooth skin of Clarke’s body. Lexa traces every curve, every contour delicately and her mind races to where she thinks this is going. No she isn’t scared, but she wants to cherish every part of Clarke’s body and she can’t do that on the couch. “Wait,” she breathes.

Clarke stops immediately, looking concerned. “Sorry, I–”

“No,” Lexa cuts in, “Don’t apologise.” She cups either side of Clarke’s face, “I want this, I want _you._ ”

There’s a pause as Clarke’s face falls softer, her lips tugging up into a small smile. “I want you too,” Clarke whispers.

“Let me take you to bed.”

Clarke leans down and kisses Lexa softly. “Take me to bed, Lexa.”

The two of them eventually get off the couch, walking hand-in-hand to Lexa’s bedroom. They come to a stop at the side of the bed, finding themselves in each other’s arms again as their lips crash against each other. Between how fast Lexa’s heart is beating and how weak in the knees she feels, Lexa can’t believe that she’s still standing.

Clarke tugs at the hem of Lexa’s shirt, “Can I?” she whispers.

Lexa doesn’t trust her words, so she nods in response. She lifts her hand above her head to allow Clarke to pull the shirt up and over completely. Once she’s just standing in her bra, Lexa reaches for the bottom of Clarke’s shirt, silently asking to do the same thing.

When Clarke’s shirt is off, the two of them return to kissing. Lexa finds herself being pushed onto the bed with Clarke settling on top of her once again. Her legs wrap around Clarke’s body, and her hands roam Clarke’s back. She feels like they become one in the moment, their bodies pressed tightly together, their lips never once breaking apart.

When they really do need to catch their breaths, Clarke starts to trail her kisses down Lexa’s body. And now, Lexa’s having trouble being able to focus on much. She feels like her head is the stars, she feels dazed and euphoric and they’ve barely done anything yet. Clarke kisses down the valley of her breast, and places a series of hurried kisses across her abdomen.

“Clarke,” Lexa breathes. Her breathing picks up quite a lot and it’s noticeable in the way her chest rises and falls. 

“Shh,” Clarke coos against her stomach. “Relax.”

Lexa nods, closes her eyes and focuses on her breathing. Clarke continues to place light kisses across her stomach and Lexa does manage to relax a little. When she loses the contact, Lexa opens her eyes to see Clarke resting on her knees.

Clarke’s hand caress either side of Lexa’s thighs, “If this is too much we don’t have to do anything, Lex.” She pauses and offers a small smile. “I am ready for this, but if you’re not it’s okay. The last thing I want to do is push you.”

Lexa shakes her head and sits up as well. “I want you, I want _all_ of you,” she whispers as she cups either side of Clarke’s face. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve been with anyone.”

Clarke nods and leans in to kiss the top of Lexa’s forehead. “What do you need?”

“Just you,” Lexa breathes. She pulls Clarke in for another slow, soft kiss and slowly the two of them fall back onto the bed. But Clarke is up and away in a matter of moments, resting on her knees again. Lexa props herself on her elbows and watches as Clarke trails her eyes down the length of her body.

“Can I?” Clarke asks, moving her hands to the top of Lexa’s pants.

Again, Lexa doesn’t trust her words so she just nods. Clarke unbuttons her jeans, zips down the zipper and Lexa lifts her butt off the bed to let her jeans be pulled away easily. Clarke throws them somewhere to the side before leaning down and kissing her way back up Lexa’s body.

Lexa lets out another strangled moan as Clarke rocks into her. While she’s just in her underwear, she needs more. She needs to _feel_ more of Clarke. So Lexa moves her hands down Clarke’s waist, tracing the curve of her hip before giving Clarke’s pants a slight tug. “Clarke,” Lexa pants. She doesn’t need to say anything more before Clarke is peeling herself away so she can get rid of her pants.

Moments later they’re back together and Lexa’s hands are once again roaming every bit of Clarke’s body she can. Clarke continues to grind into her at a steady rhythm and she can feel her arousal seeping through her underwear. Once again, Clarke breaks away from the kiss and kisses her way down to Lexa’s pulse point.

All Lexa can do at this point is tangle her fingers through Clarke’s hair and let her do her thing. She’s feeling everything at this moment. She wants this and she has complete trust in Clarke. It’s just that it really has been so long and realising that she hasn’t lost the ability to connect to someone is new and exciting for her.

Clarke places a kiss on either side of Lexa’s breasts before lifting the bra to expose them fully. But Lexa is quick to react by reaching around herself, unclasping her bra and throwing it to the side.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” Clarke whispers.

Before Lexa can respond, Clarke’s lips seal themselves around her left nipple. “Clarke–” Lexa pants. Clarke’s tongue continues to flick around Lexa’s nipple and she can’t bring herself to stop the moans that slip from her lips. What Lexa’s feeling only increases as Clarke moves to her other nipple, making sure to give it the same amount of attention.

Soon enough, Clarke is once again kissing her way down Lexa’s body. “So,” Clarke whispers against Lexa’s skin, “Beautiful.” She gives the softest bites around Lexa’s naval, before placing a series of kisses along the hem of Lexa’s underwear.

Lexa props herself on her elbows, looking down at Clarke, who’s looking right back at her in a way that makes her heart skip a beat.

“Are you okay?” Clarke asks quietly.

Lexa nods. “Yeah,” she breathes. “I just…”

“Tell me what you need.”

“Will you come back here for a second?” Lexa replies.

Clarke smiles and makes her way back up Lexa’s body. Once they’re chest to chest again, Lexa lets out a small content sigh at the feeling of being this close to Clarke.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Lexa nods and pulls Clarke in for another kiss. It’s gentle at first, with Lexa running her tongue along Clarke’s bottom lip. When their tongues begin to glide against each other, Lexa moves her hands to unclasp Clarke’s bra. The kiss stops for just a moment to let Clarke easily throw her bra to the side before they’re back to kissing.

Clarke continues to rock forward and Lexa keeps her close as she possibly can. Her arousal is definitely seeping through her underwear now, and she’s almost certain that she can feel Clarke’s wetness as well. Before long, Clarke quickens her movements and it catches Lexa off guard.

“Oh my god, Clarke,” Lexa pants. “God–”

With their foreheads resting against each other now, green eyes just dance with blue. The only sounds in this moment is the faint panting between the two of them as they continue to rock their hips together. Just as it seems like Clarke is going to make her way down again, Lexa stops her momentarily. She cups the either side of Clarke’s face and pulls her in for another messy kiss.

“Lexa–” Clarke breathes between the kisses. She doesn’t finish what she’s saying though, instead trying to make her way down Lexa’s body again. Lexa chases for just a moment longer before surrendering and falling back onto the bed. Clarke tugs Lexa’s underwear down her legs before settling between them.

Immediately, Lexa shuts her eyes and tries to control her breathing again. She feels her legs being pushed a part as Clarke begins to kiss the inside of her thighs. It’s both beautiful and agonising because Lexa wants to savour every bit of this moment, but she also wants Clarke where she needs it most.

With every kiss, Clarke gets a little closer and Lexa struggles to keep still. One hand grips the bed sheets while the other finds Clarke, which leads them to intertwining their fingers together. At first contact Lexa’s eyes roll back and lets her moans fill the room. Clarke’s tongue traces through her folds, flicking over her clit over and over again.

“Clarke,” Lexa whines, “Fuck.”

With her free hand, Clarke keeps Lexa’s hips pressed down on the bed while Lexa tries to roll her hips with the movement of Clarke’s tongue. The amount of pleasure that is coursing through Lexa’s body is indescribable. Her panting only quickens, encouraging Clarke to keep doing what she’s doing.

Clarke changes it up though, holding back for just a moment so that she can give a broad, slow swipe over Lexa’s clit. This causes Lexa to arch her back off the bed, only prompting Clarke to push her hips back down in an instant.

“Clarke, please.”

Clarke smiles. “Patience.”

Lexa lets out a long sigh before nodding. She lets go of Clarke’s hand and props herself on her elbows again to watch Clarke between her legs. Clarke’s eyes are closed, with her head moving from side to side. Lexa can feel her arousal seeping, with Clarke’s tongue lapping it up at a steady rhythm.

When Clarke opens her eyes, Lexa blushes as she gets caught starring. She can feel Clarke smirking against her centre and falls back onto the bed, rolling her eyes as Clarke picks up the pace. Clarke doesn’t stop or slow down and Lexa knows she’s about to lose all her senses in the best way possible.

When she comes, she comes with Clarke’s name on her lips. She’s never been someone who’s particularly vocal during sex, but god does Clarke bring it out of her. Her orgasm washes through her, her back arching off the mattress and with Clarke coaxing her down from her high. At this point she doesn’t remember left from right or what day it is. All she can think about it the woman between her legs.

Once Lexa’s body completely relaxes, Clarke kisses her way back up until they’re chest to chest again. “You okay?” Clarke asks as she leans down to kiss Lexa softly.

Lexa nods. “I’m perfect,” she whispers. They continue to share slow kisses, giving them each a moment to catch their breaths. Lexa can taste herself on Clarke’s lips and it only sends herself into overdrive again. Without another thought, she flips them over so that she’s now on top.

They fall into a small fit of giggles, before kissing again each other again. Lexa feels Clarke take her hand and places it over her heart. “Do you feel that?” Clarke asks.

Lexa nods, Clarke’s heart is beating right under her finger tips.

“That’s what you do to me, Lexa,” Clarke whispers. “Every day I see you, every time we spend together. You make me feel like _this.”_

Lexa takes Clarke’s hand and places it over her chest. “You have the same effect on me.”

“You make me so happy,” Clarke smiles.

Lexa leans down and kisses Clarke again as her reply. Clarke seems to get the message as her hands come up grip Lexa’s waist. But Lexa doesn’t linger long, now it’s her turn to kiss her way down Clarke’s body. Lexa’s tongue immediately swipes of Clarke’s erect nipple, eliciting the sweetest moan from Clarke.

Lexa seals her lips around Clarke’s breast, sucking and continually flicking her tongue. She makes sure she gives an equal amount of attention to the other breast, closing her eyes in the process and focusing on nothing but Clarke at this point. Clarke’s hands are in her hair and she’s just filling the room with soft moans and chants that cause Lexa’s heart to beat a little quicker.

Lexa lifts herself completely from Clarke’s body. She tugs at Clarke’s underwear, silently asking for permission, for which she’s granted not even a second later. Once Clarke is naked before her, Lexa lets herself have a moment to soak in the moment. She meets Clarke’s gaze and smiles.

“See something you like?” Clarke asks.

“Very much so.” Lexa hovers over Clarke’s body once again, kissing the woman below her with everything she’s got. Both of Clarke’s hands are at Lexa’s breasts, massing them softly throughout the moment.

Clarke moans into the kiss, “Lex,” she pants.

Lexa trails her hands between their bodies, her fingers meeting Clarke’s arousal. Lexa watches as Clarke’s eyes roll back, her lips parting slightly, her chest rising with the quick breath she takes. She begins to rub mindless patterns over Clarke’ clit, watching as Clarke slips into her own euphoric state.

“Oh god–”

Clarke’s words are cut as Lexa crashes their lips together. More moans travel between their lips in this moment than the entire night. Clarke is making it known that what Lexa is doing feels good, and honestly, Lexa loves it. Clarke cups either side of her face and kisses her best she can with what’s going on between her legs.

Lexa slips two fingers into Clarke and begins to pump. Clarke bites Lexa’s bottom lip in response, moaning in the space between them again. Lexa keeps doing what she’s doing, occasionally flicking her thumb over Clarke’s clit.

“Fuck, Lexa, _god,”_ Clarke pants.

All Lexa can do is hum in response, returning her lips to Clarke’s body. She kisses the crook of Clarke’s neck, sucks on the pulse point and grazes her teeth all the while keeping her fingers focused on making Clarke feel good.

Eventually Lexa’s lips find themselves on Clarke’s breasts again. She sucks and flicks over the erect nipples as Clarke continues to fidget in anticipation below her. Clarke’s hands are in her hair, pulling her in, keeping her close (but as if Lexa would be anywhere else but here).

“Lexa,” Clarke moans, “I’m so close, please, baby.”

Lexa’s fingers keep pumping in and out as she makes her way down Clarke’s body. She comes to a stop in front of Clarke’s centre, taking in the slick, wet sight before her. She can see and _feel_ Clarke’s arousal on her fingers and she takes no time to think about her next move. Lexa’s leans in and her tongue gives a broad swipe of Clarke’s clit.

Clarke lets out a quick breath. “Lex,” she whispers, arching her back off the bed.

Lexa doesn’t need to be told twice. While her fingers continue pump in and out of Clarke, her tongue begins to trace mindless patterns over Clarke’s clit. The taste is intoxicating and she’s addicted already. Lexa then replaces her fingers with her tongue, dipping in and out of Clarke and completely taking in every reaction Clarke has.

When Clarke comes, she’s arching her back off the bed even more and almost screaming to the roof. Lexa coaxes Clarke down from her high, swiping her tongue through Clarke’s folds and just savouring every moment of this.

“Babe,” Clarke breathes, “Come back to me.”

Lexa places a kiss on the inside of Clarke’s thigh, before kissing her way back up. She takes her time though, kissing every little freckle, dip and curve and can. Clarke doesn’t seem to mind though, occasionally giggling and whispering quiet reassurances.  

But when Lexa does make her way up, she settles on top of Clarke and sighs contently. Her elbows rest at the either side of Clarke’s head and she leans down and brushes their noses together. Clarke responds by hugging her and connecting their lips in another passionate kiss. They stay like this for a while, there is no rush, no urgency, nothing they need to do in this moment other than be with each other.

 

* * *

 

With one hand, Clarke pulls Lexa in closer by the waist by her other hands cups the side of Lexa’s waist. They’re in the shower together, just enjoying the time they have alone together before their kids come back with Raven.

Clarke couldn’t have asked for a better day. Everything about today has just solidified her feelings for Lexa and she feels so lucky to be here with her. Lexa is so careful, so gentle and so loving. Lexa makes her feel like she’s on cloud nine constantly and she only hopes that she’s doing the same for the woman.

“You’re amazing,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa kisses her again before pulling back. “You’re pretty amazing yourself, Clarke.”

 

A couple of hours later they’re on the couch, snuggling next to each other on the couch. Once they finished showering they took out their left-over food from their date and settled in the living room, deciding to watch whatever was on TV.

Clarke rests her head on Lexa’s shoulder, their fingers intertwined with each other. It’s been pretty silent for the last half an hour but she doesn’t mind it. This type of quiet, this type of silence, is something that she can fall in love with. And ultimately, Lexa is someone she can fall in love with. She doesn’t know if it’s crazy, but she can see it – she can see a future with Lexa. Clarke can see them becoming a family and the thought makes her heart positively ache.

When there’s knocking on the door, Clarke lifts her head up and follows Lexa. When the door swings open, Ava is running through immediately and jumping up into her arms. “Hey baby girl,” Clarke smiles.

“Hi.” Ava wraps her arms around Clarke and hums softly. Mia and Aden both greet Lexa as well, Raven steps inside and they all make their way into the living room.

The kids excitedly recount the day they’ve had, with Raven adding extra commentary whenever needed. While they are all smiles and laughter, Clarke can tell that they’re all pretty tired from the day; Ava is yawning, Mia is rubbing her eyes and Aden is already half asleep.

“Home time?” Ava asks.

Clarke kisses the top of her daughter’s head and nods. “Sure. I just have to get my bag and we can go.”

“Come here Cheesecake,” Raven says, opening her arms. “I’ll put you in the car while your mum get her bag.”

Ava is up making her way towards Raven, saying her goodbyes to Mia, Aden and Lexa along the way. Mia and Aden also manage to get up from the couch and hug Raven. She watches Raven hug the kids, squeezing them as tightly as she can.

Raven lets the kids go and looks towards Clarke. “We’ll just take my car home and tomorrow we can return Lexa’s car and get yours.” Raven pauses and turns to Lexa. “Sound good?”

They all agree and start to make their way out. Raven takes Ava out of the house while Lexa chases Mia and Aden to the bathroom. Clarke makes her way towards Lexa’s room, with Lexa right on her tail. The door closes and she finds herself being pulled in by Lexa, the lips meeting in a slow and gentle graze. But it doesn’t go much further than that, it doesn’t need to.

Lexa pulls back first, “Thank you for a perfect day.”

Clarke smiles and tucks Lexa’s hair behind her ear. “I had a _really_ good day too,” she smiles.

“Message me when you get home?”

Clarke nods and kisses the Lexa’s forehead. “I will.”

When they’re making their way out of Lexa’s room, Clarke quickly peeps her head into the bathroom. Both Mia and Aden take turns standing in front of the sink so they brush their teeth properly. “Bye Mia, Aden,” she calls out.

The twins both turn around and wave, “Bye Clarke,” they mumble with toothpaste running down their lips.

“I’ll see you guys Monday.” Clarke turns around to see Lexa leaning against the wall, smiling at her. “What?”

“Nothing,” Lexa smiles, shaking her head. “They really like you, you know that?”

“I really like them too.”

They make their way towards the front of the house, coming to a stop at the door. Clarke pulls Lexa in for another hug, pulling her in as tightly as she can. “Night, Lex,” she whispers.

“Good night, Clarke.”

After that they share another quick, chaste kiss before Clarke is actually leaving. She can see Raven already in the driver’s seat, plugging her phone into the AUX cord and Ava is in the backseat, waving her hands slightly and Clarke only assumes that she’s requesting a certain song.

Once she’s in the car, she pulls her seat belt over her chest and looks back to her daughter. “Seat belt on?”

Ava nods and yawns. “I’m sleepy.”

“I know,” Clarke replies. “Take a nap and I’ll carry you up when we get home.”

Ava yawns again and nods, slowly dozing off. Clarke turns back to the front and lets herself get comfortable as Raven starts to drive them off. Her mind instantly starts to replay the day she’s had and the grin on her face doesn’t go unnoticed by Raven.

“I take it you guys had a good date?” Raven asks.

Clarke turns to Raven, bites her bottom lip and just nods. Raven takes a quick glance and laughs before turning her attention back to the road. “It was amazing,” Clarke whispers. “She’s amazing.”

“You’re so smitten,” Raven teases. “How was your picnic?”

Clarke ignores comment because she can’t really deny it. “You were right, I packed way too much food,” she laughs. “We had the leftovers just before you came actually. But it was really nice.”

“So I notice that you’re wearing different clothes to this morning…” Raven trails off and Clarke can just _hear_ the smirk coming from her. She knows she’s about to undergo some relentless teasing so she turns back to make sure Ava’s asleep. Ava’s mouth is slightly ajar and Clarke can hear her steadily breathing as she naps.

Clarke turns back to Raven, “I know what you’re thinking.”

“And I know when you’ve gotten laid,” Raven whispers. Clarke rolls her eyes and Raven continues, “So…”

“So what?”

“Aw come on, it’s not like you haven’t told me about the other people you’ve slept with.”

It’s true. Raven’s her best friend and they share everything together, there is very little boundaries in their relationship but this time it feels different. While she knows that Raven knows that they slept together, Clarke doesn’t want to share much else. What she had with Lexa this afternoon is something that she only wants to exist between the two of them.

“You’re really not going to say anything, are you?” Raven asks. Clarke shakes her head with a small smile. “You’re in so deep my friend.”

“I know.”

“But you’re enjoying every second of it, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the christmas play, the school year comes to an end + a whole lot of quality clexa family time 
> 
> (it's basically 14k of pure love, fluff and happiness)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you're well. happy reading xx

As the second last week of school comes to an end, Lexa invites everyone over for dinner and quiet night of games and movies. It’s also a night that Clarke and Ava are going to sleep over. They’ve talked about it for a week and they both are comfortable with it. Plus, Lexa misses sleeping next to Clarke so she has no reservations about it at all. Mia’s also been very insistent about Ava sleeping over as well.

Since their first “proper” date, they’ve had a few others in between. They’ve also found some time to be alone together again, and Lexa is sure that being with Clarke feels new and exciting every time. Everyday they grow a little closer, everyday she feels their two families slowly becoming one and everyday she feels herself falling for Clarke.

It’s about 9:30pm when Lexa makes her way outside with her sister.  Everyone else is scattered around her home, some watch a movie, some play “Heads Up” and others snack on the food that she’s left out. Taking a seat next to Anya, she leans into the seat and looks up to the stars.

“So Mia tells me that Ava is sleeping over,” Anya whispers. “Does that mean Clarke is too?”

Lexa nods. “We both feel like it’s a good thing for us.”

“Hey I’m not disputing it or anything.” Anya pauses to take a sip of her drink.

“So you think it’s not too fast?”

Anya shakes her head. “But then again, it all depends on you guys. If you say you’re ready, then I believe you.”

“Mia and Aden are taking this whole thing pretty well,” Lexa reveals. “I thought that with Clarke still being their teacher it would be a slight problem.”

“That’s understandable,” Anya says. “But this is Clarke we’re taking about. When I first met her I thought she was annoying as hell, but now look at us, we’re basically best friends.”

“Best friends?” Lexa asks with a slight chuckle.

Anya nods and turns to the back door. Lexa is a little confused at first but then she sees Clarke walk past the door and Anya waving her over. Clarke slides the door open and comes to sit next to the empty seat besides Lexa.

“Clarke, aren’t we like best friends?” Anya asks.

“Totally,” Clarke replies without missing a beat.

Anya then turns back to Lexa. “See?”

Clarke takes a sip of her drink and looks to Lexa too. “Your sister and I have been BFFs since forever.”

Lexa laughs and just as she’s about to say something, Anya interrupts her.

“So Clarke, what are your intentions with my sister, my niece and my nephew?”

Lexa sighs. “Anya… come on…”

“Shhh,” Anya coos. “You knew that this would happen eventually. I’m letting you witness this conversation so be grateful for that.”

“It’s fine,” Clarke reassures, taking Lexa’s hand. She clears her throat before look back to Anya, “My intention… is to make them as happy as they make me for as long as they let me.”

“That’s so cheesy,” Anya comments.

“You asked,” Clarke laughs. “But I’m serious about this, Anya. You’ve known me for a long time, you know that I’m not interested in games when it comes to something like this.”

Lexa gives Clarke’s hand another reassuring squeeze. While Anya’s known about them since the beginning of it all, this time it feels more official. She’s not saying much, but Lexa knows that this is the ‘don’t you even think about hurting her’ talk. Family is so important to Lexa, so it is important that Clarke gets along with them all.

“I know,” Anya says casually. “You have Ava as well. And Lexa,” she turns to her sister, “You better not stuff this up.”

“You’re giving me the talk too?” Lexa asks.

Anya nods. “You bet I am.” She looks between the two of them, “I’m giving you both the courtesy of being at each other’s talks. You’ll never hear me say this again, but I love you both and I don’t want to see anyone, especially the kids, get hurt.”

 Clarke places her hand over her heart.

“–Don’t make this weird,” Anya cuts in.

Lexa laughs. “I think it’s a little too late for late.” She pauses and gives her sister a reassuring smile. “Thank you,” she whispers

Just at that moment the back-door slides open and Raven and Octavia join them at the table. They bring a couple more drinks and some dip and chips, settling it in the middle of table and gesturing for them to share.

“So what are we talking about?” Raven asks.

Anya reaches for the chips and replies, “Clarke and Lexa.”

“Ah, my favourite topic,” Raven teases. “You were giving them the talk, weren’t you?”

Anya nods.

Octavia nudges Raven, “Should we give them the talk to?”

Lexa sees Clarke roll her eyes playfully and laughs in response. She reaches for Clarke’s hand, “We don’t need the talk,” she replies honestly. Clarke turns to her and leans forward for a quick, chaste kiss.

“Gross,” Raven teases.

 

* * *

 

A little while later Clarke finds herself on the couch with Aden one side to her and Octavia on the other side. A few other people squish themselves onto the couch and everyone else is comfortable on the floor with the blankets and pillows Lexa bought out earlier.

Aden leans a little closer into her and Clarke can tell he’s having some trouble staying up. He’s nodded off a few times but whenever she asks if he wants to go to bed, he’s just politely declines. But this time around it’s different and Clarke knows that he is really about to fall as sleep.

“Come on,” she whispers, “You should go to bed, we can put on the movie again tomorrow.”

Aden lets out another tired yawn and nods. Clarke gives a small smile as he really struggles to get himself off the couch. So instead, she moves herself so that she can carry him towards him to his room.

“Oh I can do that,” Lexa whispers as she notices what’s happening.

Clarke shakes her head softly. “It’s okay,” she mouths. She carefully carries Aden, prompting him to hold on tight as she makes her way out of the living room. As she walks towards his room, Clarke hums a familiar tune to replace the sound of the movie from the living room.

Fortunately, his door is already opened so she walks in, pulls back to bed covers and places him down carefully. He stirs awake again, helping to pull his blanket over his body. Clarke kneels down beside the bed, running her fingers through his hair. “Goodnight, Aden,” she whispers.

Aden’s eyes open slowly, “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Ava said that you had a girlfriend a long time ago…” he whispers.

Clarke nods. “I did… her name was Niylah.”

“What happened?”

“Well…” she trails off, running her fingers through his hair again. “She had to go far away for work.”

“So you couldn’t be girlfriends anymore?”

Clarke nods. “Yeah.”

“Were you sad? Ava said that she was sad.”

“We both were for a while,” she replies honestly. “But sometimes people have to leave and there’s not much we can do about it.”

“Like mum,” Aden whispers.

There’s a small pang in Clarke’s chest. “Yeah,” she whispers softly. “But Ava and I aren’t sad anymore. Sometimes we lose people, but also sometimes we find them too.”

“Like we found each other?” Aden asks softly.

Clarke nods. “You, your sister, you mama, you all make me and Ava so happy.”

“You make us happy too.”

Aden sits up in bed and opens his arms. Without even thinking Clarke is quick to pull him in for a hug. “I promise that we’re all going to make each other happy for a very long time,” she whispers.

Aden nods and eventually falls back into his bed, pulling the covers over his body again. Clarke leans down and kisses the top of his head. “Goodnight. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night,” he smiles.

When Clarke stands up and turns around she sees Lexa leaning against the door frame. “You know, it’s not very polite to eavesdrop,” she teases. They both step out of Aden’s room and close the door quietly. But they don’t move too far away, instead Clarke wraps her arms around Lexa’s waist. And Lexa does the same, wrapping her arms around Clarke’s neck.

“I’m a lucky woman,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke smiles. “I’m pretty lucky myself.” She leans in and closes her eyes. Their noses brush over each other a couple of times, with both of them just taking in the moment. The distance between them is eventually closed in a soft, gentle kiss. Clarke pulls Lexa in even closer, falls back from the kiss and nuzzles herself in the crook of Lexa’s neck.

Lexa lets out a small content sigh, “I think everyone’s about to call it a night.”

Clarke hums in response. The two of them make their way back to the kitchen just in time to see Raven pausing the movie and saying that they’re all too tired to watch the rest of it.

“We’re so old,” Raven groans. “It’s not even 11 yet and I’m ready to fall into bed.”

“I was ready three hours ago,” Bellamy says.

Everyone shares a small laugh and starts to gather their things. Mia and Ava remain on the couch, looking over Anya’s shoulder as she shows the kids a few of her latest designs on her phone. Lincoln is taking Lucas out of his pram so that Octavia can fold it up. Bellamy is helping Ben and Rosie find their things and Raven is stealing the last of the chips.

It’s about fifteen minutes later that everyone leaves. Anya’s the last to leave, jokingly lifting Mia and Ava and saying that she’ll be taking them with her on her bike. Of course the kids go along with it and are pretty disappointed when Anya puts them back down on the ground.

“Night Aunt Anya!” Mia calls out.

“Bye Anya!” Ava calls out as well.

Clarke locks the door as Lexa starts to close the blinds around the house. “Let’s get you both to bed,” she says to the girls, nudging them towards Mia’s room. They excitedly run off and Clarke follows happily, sending a quick wink to Lexa as they cross paths.

Once in the room, Clarke sees Mia watching as Ava climbs the ladder to the top bunk.

“Careful,” Mia says.

It’s just a couple of seconds later that Ava successfully makes it up to the top, going under the covers almost immediately. Clarke helps Mia on the bottom bed first, tucking her in and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She then stands up and leans up on her tippy-toes to kiss Ava goodnight as well.

“If you wake up and need me, I’m just in Lexa’s room okay?” Clarke whispers. “The door won’t be locked.”

“I’ll be okay,” Ava smiles. “Night. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Clarke stands back and steps forward again to make sure Mia’s okay. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Mia nods. “Will you make your French toast again?”

“I will.”

“Okay. Good night, Clarke.”

“Night, love.”

Clarke turns back around and just like before, Lexa is standing there and leaning against the door frame. “Night Monkey, Night Ava,” Lexa says.

“Night mama!”

“Night Lexa.”

Clarke closes the door behind her and Lexa guides them to the bedroom. There they get ready for bed, brush their teeth, take off their bras and change into some comfier clothes. Clarke’s in bed first, taking the left side and sitting up against the headboard. She grabs her phone and starts to mindlessly scroll through her Facebook feed.

Lexa eventually comes out of the bathroom, making her way to the dresses grabbing her hairbrush. “One more week of school, are you excited?” Lexa asks, making her way towards the bed.

Clarke puts her phone away and smiles. “So-so. It’s always hard saying goodbye to the kids after a year of being with them.”

“I’m excited for the play.”

“I am too,” Clarke replies. “Mia and Aden are so adorable in it.”

“You know who else is adorable?” Lexa asks, climbing onto the bed and straddling Clarke’s lap.

Clarke’s hands come to rest of Lexa’s thighs, caressing them slowly. “Who?” she asks playfully.

“You,” Lexa replies, cupping either side of Clarke’s face. “You putting the kids to sleep was very adorable.”

Lexa leans in closer and Clarke’s heart beat picks up quite dramatically. She tries to lean up so that she can kiss the other woman, but Lexa is quick to move back just an inch of reach. Clarke sits up a little straighter and pulls Lexa in a little closer. She wraps her arms around Lexa’s body and lets out a small sigh.

Tonight’s the first night she’s put Mia and Aden to bed and it may seem like a small thing, but for her it’s not. It’s a very big thing, especially with Ava and herself sleeping over. It’s been something she’s been looking forward to for a long time.

Slowly, the distance between Clarke Lexa lessens. It’s another tender moment for the night, their noses moving over each other, as they just share a moment of being close. “I’m falling in love with you, Lexa Woods,” Clarke whispers in the space between them.

“I’m falling in love with you too, Clarke Griffin.”

Clarke grins and pulls Lexa in for a fiery kiss. Lexa’s hands come to cup either side of her face, their tongues slide against each other and faint panting fills the room. It’s a kiss that could definitely ignite something more, but like an unspoken agreement they both know it won’t. While they have had sex since their first time, it’s never been with the kids in the house.

A couple of minutes later, Lexa peels herself off of Clarke and the two of them get comfortable under the covers. Lexa turns off her bedside lamp, but Clarke leaves hers on for the time being. They both end up on their sides and facing each other.

“So I know it’s still about a month away, but what are you doing for Christmas?” Clarke asks.

“Taking the kids up to the farm,” Lexa replies softly, “We missed Christmas with my parents last year so I promised them we’ll make it there for this one.” She stops for a moment and finds Clarke’s hands. “What about you?”

“Staying here... my parents always throw a big Christmas thing for the family,” Clarke smiles and gives Lexa’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “But I was wondering if you wanted to do something for Christmas? Just you, me and the kids.”

“Of course,” Lexa smiles.

“Really?” The reply slips from her mouth, as if she wasn’t expecting such answer (which is crazy because they did just tell each other that they were falling for one another.)

Lexa laughs. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I don’t know,” Clarke laughs. “But when do you plan on going up to the farm?”

“23rd mostly likely,” Lexa replies. “So we can do the 22nd?”

“Sounds perfect.” Clarke props herself up and leans over to give Lexa a quick kiss. “Are you staying there for New Years too?”

Lexa shakes her head. “We’ll be back Sunday. I have to open the store Monday and Tuesday.”

Clarke settles back down on the bed, “You heard about Octavia planning another getaway for New Years? Were you thinking about going to that?” Lexa nods with a smile. “I would really love to spend New Years with you and the twins,” Clarke whispers.

“I would really love to spend it with you and Ava as well.”

There is so much joy that runs through her at this moment. “So if Octavia gets the house, we’ll join them? And if they don’t end up getting it then just us?”

Lexa nods. “I couldn’t think of a better way to end the year.” This time it’s Lexa who leans over and kisses Clarke. It’s a little longer than the one before, with it ending as Lexa kisses Clarke’s forehead.

When Lexa pulls back, Clarke turns around and switches off the bedside lamp. But just as she’s about to turn around, she feels Lexa scoot closer. Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke, gives her a small kiss on the cheek and the two of them slowly doze off into the night.

 

* * *

 

It’s the Tuesday night of the last week of school and Lexa is making her way towards the school hall. She’s just dropped off Mia and Aden at their classroom to get them ready for the school play. She got to quickly say hello to Clarke, but she’s running around the classroom trying to make sure everything goes smoothly. Lexa did put her name down to help out, but with all the other parents doing the same they had more than enough parents to choose from.

Just as she’s approaching the hall, she spots a familiar face walking towards her. “Dr Griffin, hi,” Lexa greets.

The older woman smiles in response. “Please, just call me _Abby.”_

“Abby,” Lexa repeats. “I know Clarke’s in her classroom and Mr Griffin is somewhere inside the hall last I heard.”

“Thanks dear,” Abby smiles. “How are Mia and Aden?”

“Good, this is their first play so they’ve been pretty excited about it since the beginning.”

“Ah, Ava too.” Abby pauses and gives a quick wave to a couple of people who walk past before returning her attention back to Lexa. “Speaking of my granddaughter, you are all she talks about these days.”

Lexa takes a quick breath and tries to avoid stuttering her response. “I am?”

“Yeah,” Abby laughs. “She’s always going on about this secret you share and it always causes Clarke to pout.”

Lexa laughs as well. “Yeah, Clarke’s been pressed about it since the first day we met.”

“Well whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”

Lexa takes a moment to study the woman in front of her. She doesn’t know what it is about Abby, but Lexa is pretty sure that there’s a double meaning behind the woman’s response. And if there is she does not know how to respond next, this is not how she wants Abby to find out about her relationship with Clarke.

“I should go find Ava before the show starts,” Abby continues. “I’ll see you around, Lexa.”

“Enjoy the show.”

“You too.”

Lexa then makes her way towards Raven and Anya, rolling her eyes as they both have the widest grins on their faces. “Don’t start,” she says.

“Start what?” Anya asks.

Raven nudges Anya slightly, “Didn’t Lexa look so comfortable talking to her future mother-in-law?”

“Raven,” Lexa warns.

“Lexa.”

Lexa playfully rolls her eyes this time, trying to change the conversation to something else. “Where are the others?” she asks.

“Bellamy and Octavia have gone to save our seats,” Anya smirks. “Ready to go inside?”

Lexa nods and she follows them inside. Raven holds out the tickets for the teacher at the door, who then points them towards where they need to go. It’s not long before they find their seats next to Bellamy and Octavia. There’s a good vibe in the hall as the families all find their seats.

There’s Christmas decorations around the hall, different posters and pictures that the students have created, fake snow and Christmas lights. The stage is slightly elevated and there’s two projectors on the wall to make sure that everyone can see what’s going on. Lexa’s sitting in the second row so she’s got a very good and clear view of the stage.

She’s got the itinerary in her hands and it says that Mia and Aden’s class will be the fifth act of the night. This is the first play that they’ve been a part of and they’re so excited. Lexa definitely has been too.

 

The night starts with kindergarten opening the play. Throughout the whole thing Lexa is smiling and laughing. The play starts out with the kids celebrating the beginning of the festive season (December 1st, or alternatively Christmas 1st as one of the kids call it). There’s singing and dancing and a few pretty good Christmas jokes.

The curtains close after the first act, giving the next class a couple of minutes to prepare the stage the way they need it. Lexa makes idle chat with Raven for the time being, listening to Raven as she talks about how Ava’s been practicing her part around the apartment.

The night continues and eventually Ava’s class starts their little Christmas skit. The scene is set in Santa’s Christmas workshop, with many of kids dressed as elves and working away with making the presents. Ava is “Head Elf” and takes the lead in singing and guiding her fellow friends. It’s a sight that warms Lexa’s heart and she only hopes that Clarke is somewhere watching as well.

When it’s Mia and Aden’s turn, Lexa is almost out of her seat. Anya’s basically has to pull her back from time to time because Lexa is just _so_ excited for it. From what Mia, Aden and Clarke have told her it’s a little skit about the night of Christmas Eve. Clarke’s come up a play and a little song based on the traditional idea of leaving cookies and milk out for Santa.

A couple of kids sneak into the living room, seemingly trying to take a peek at their Christmas presents. But when one of them flicks on the light, they’re all startled to find Santa sitting in the dark and enjoying the cookies that were left out for him.

Aden is Santa so when Anya sees him she’s instantly screaming, “GOOOOO ADEN!”

That definitely makes a few heads turn so Lexa whacks her sister softly. But Aden gives a quick thumbs up towards them and falls back into character. The class goes into a quick musical sequence and Lexa spots Mia for the first time. Mia’s one of Santa’s reindeers and if Lexa says so herself, her daughter is a pretty cute reindeer.

More of the kids come onto stage as extra singers and dancers. The song is catchy, and Lexa finds herself singing along because the twins have been practicing non-stop all term. The musical part of it ends when two kids (pretending to be the parents) come into the living room and catch their kids trying to sneak at the presents.

The play eventually ends with the Year 6 on the stage, doing a reflective piece to coincide with the New Year. They’re singing another original song and an extra projector has been pulled down to show pictures that have been taken throughout the school year. Lexa spots Mia and Aden a couple of times and smiles throughout the whole thing.

 

Lexa stands and waits outside Mia and Aden’s classroom with Anya and Raven. They’re leaning against the wall and talking to a couple of the other parents. The kids are all still making their way from the hall given that the entire school squished themselves onto the stage for the closing of the play.

_“Mama!”_

_“Aunt Anya!”_

Mia jumps into Lexa's arms while Aden jumps into Anya’s. They both hug the twins and compliment what they saw during the night.

Lexa kisses Mia on the cheek, “You were amazing Monkey.” She leans over and kisses Aden as well, “You too. You’re an adorable Santa!”

Anya ruffles Mia’s hair, pulls out her phone and hands it to Raven. “Mind taking a photo?”

“Not at all,” Raven smiles. She moves them under some better light and takes a couple of photos, taking a few selfie shots with the group as well. Ava walks by and Raven tells her to jump in the photo.

Both Lexa and Anya put the twins down and kneel down to the kids’ level. Raven takes another couple of photos before calling Clarke over to join them.

“Family photo!” Anya whispers to her sister before jumping out of the photo.

Lexa raises an eyebrow. “Are we not family?” she laughs, pointing between the two of them. But she doesn’t wait for a response, shuffling the kids so the they are in the middle. Lexa’s standing next to Ava, then it’s Aden, Mia and Clarke.

“Say _Aunt Raven’s the best!_ ” Raven calls out.

“ _Aunt Raven’s the best!”_

Raven takes a few more photos and they all end up making a few funny faces. The last photo Raven takes is one of Lexa kissing Ava’s cheek, Clarke kissing Mia’s cheek and all the kids have their mouths gasped wide open.

When Lexa stands up, Clarke does the same. “That was an amazing play, Clarke.”

Clarke smiles. “I’m glad you liked it.” She pauses and looks around the area after hearing some of the kids call her name. “Are we still on for dessert?” Lexa nods. “Cool, I shouldn’t be long. I just have to make sure everyone grabs their things from the class and lockup.”

“It’s okay,” Lexa reassures. “Take your time.”

Now it’s time for Raven to get some photos. Aden jumps onto her back as Raven manages to carry both Mia and Ava in her arms. They’re laughing and smiling and Raven has no trouble holding them up. Anya jumps in a couple of the photos and Lexa takes a page out of Raven’s book and takes a few selfies as well.

Eventually Bellamy, Ben, Rosie, Octavia and Lucas come to join them. They’re all going to head over to Lexa’s place afterwards for some dessert. It is a school night, but it’s only 8pm so they some time before it gets too late for the kids.

 

By 8:30pm, Lexa’s opening the door to her house and everyone is making their way in. The kids instantly go for the TV, after being told that a couple of episodes of The Simpsons were playing. Lexa makes her way into the kitchen, takes out the ice cream and her container of cones.

“Alright, 2 chocolate cones, 1 strawberry, 2 mixed,” Raven says as she enters the room.

“For the kids?” Lexa asks.

Raven gives her the ‘really?’ look before laughing softly. “No, those are just mine,” she jokes. The others join around the kitchen, offering a hand to help with the ice cream.

Clarke is the last to enter, making her way towards Lexa and kissing her on the cheek. “Hi.”

Lexa tries to hold back her blush. “Hi,” she replies.

“Naw look at you guys,” Lincoln smiles, “So cute.”

Lexa shoots Lincoln a glare, which causes Clarke to laugh. Clarke places another kiss on her cheek before taking a step small step back. For the next couple of minutes they work on getting everyone their ice cream cones. The kids get theirs first before the adults settle around the dining table.

“So we found the perfect house,” Octavia announces as she takes a seat.

“For…?” Anya asks.

“New Years,” Octavia clarifies. “Everyone’s still in, right?” She waits to see everyone nod along. “It’s a little bigger than the beach house we went to before so Miller and his boyfriend Brian are coming along.”

“And Gina,” Bellamy adds.

Octavia nods. “And Gina.”

“Wait, where are going again?” Clarke asks.

“Mount Weather,” Lincoln answers. “We’ve found a house right on the lake and apparently,you can see a few sets of fireworks go off during New Years.” He goes on to explain what there is to do in the area and how long they were thinking of staying. They figure they should send the owner a message now before someone else makes an offer.

 

About half an hour later, Lexa is with Clarke in the kitchen – a quiet moment together before they have to say goodbye for the night. They’re at the table, sitting side by side as Raven and Anya sit and watch TV with the kids.

“That was an amazing play, Clarke,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke smiles. “Thank y–” she stops as she lets out a small yawn.

Lexa brings her hand to cup the right side of Clarke’s face, “You should head home,” she says, “Get Ava to bed, get yourself to bed.”

Clarke leans in so that their noses are brushing. “Good night, Lexa Woods,” she whispers.

“Good night, Clarke Griffin.” Lexa leans in and kisses Clarke softly. Clarke’s hand come to cup either side of her face and Lexa hums in content.

“ _Get a room!”_

Lexa breaks away from the kiss to see Mia walking into the kitchen and placing her cup into the sink. “MIA WOODS!” Lexa calls out.

Mia throws her hands up in the air, “Aunt Anya told me to say it! What does it mean?”

“ANYA!”

“ _IT WAS RAVEN!”_

_“HEY NO IT WASN’T!”_

Mia walks over, “Mama, what does it mean?”

Lexa shakes her head an laughs, “Nothing,” she replies. “Why don’t you go say goodbye to Ava and Raven. They’re going to head home soon.”

“Okay.” Mia steps around to Clarke and hugs her without saying a word.

Clarke wraps her arms around Mia and smiles. “Goodnight Monkey.”

“Night Miss Cl– Clarke.”

Once Mia is out of the room, Lexa pulls Clarke in for another quick kiss. “I was wondering if you wanted to come visit some rescue shelters with me next week?”

“Oh for Mia and Aden’s gift?” Clarke whispers. When Lexa nods she continues, “Yeah of course. What day?”

Lexa pauses for a moment. “Well my parents are coming down Monday, and they could probably watch them for a couple of hours while we go.”

“Monday is good,” Clarke nods. “I’ll see if my dad can watch Ava for the day.”

“You can bring her if you like.”

Clarke laughs. “She’s going to tell Mia and Aden the minute she sees them.”

“You underestimate your daughter at keeping secrets,” Lexa argues. And in this instance she can see on Clarke’s face that she realises what exactly Lexa is referring to.

“I hate you,” Clarke huffs. “I finally forgot about the secret you have with the kids. Why did you have to remind me?”

“Because it’s fun to see you like this,” Lexa teases. When Clarke pouts she laughs softly and leans in to give Clarke another kiss.

Clarke’s pout turns into a smile. “Okay, well I’ll let you know.” There’s a pause as they intertwine their fingers. “How long are your parents here for?” Clarke asks.

“Just Monday and Tuesday,” Lexa answers. While they have a good team on the farm, her parents always like to be a part of the entire process. So they do give themselves some time off, it’s never for too long and never too far away. “I’m having a BBQ for them on Tuesday, you should come, bring Ava.”

“You want to meet your parents?” Clarke asks cautiously.

Lexa nods, it feels like her heart skips a couple of beats. It’s not something she was planning on asking (yet) but she wants this. She wants Clarke and Ava to meet her parents and she thinks that it’s a good step for them both. “But if it’s too quick then we can–” Her words are cut off as Clarke is now the one pulling her in for a kiss.

“I’d love to,” Clarke smiles. “Just to clarify, are we telling them that we’re dating?”

“We are. If you’re okay with that?”

“I am.” Clarke pauses and lets out a small, content sigh. “I’ve been thinking about telling my parents too.”

“Should I be nervous meeting your parents?” Lexa asks. “I know that I’ve met them already but–”

“No but’s,” Clarke cuts in, “There’s no doubt that they’ll love you.” She leans in to kiss Lexa again, a little longer than before.

“Okay, okay,” Lexa breathes, breaking away from the kiss. “You should go before I won’t be able to let you.”

“Mmm,” Clarke hums.

They share another quick kiss before it’s really time to go. Heading into the living room, they all say their final goodbyes with Anya once again picking up Aden and jokingly saying that she’s going to take him home as well.

 

* * *

 

The last few days of the year are always the easiest and most relaxing in terms of teaching. At least for primary school it’s more so about celebrating the year that they’ve had and general housekeeping things (e.g. handing out artworks, books and taking everything down from around the class).

It’s now officially the last day of the school term and as always, it’s a bitter sweet moment. Clarke says this every year about her classes, but her Year 2’s this year have been a great bunch. Being able to teach them for the last four terms has been a wonderful experience. But fortunately, Arkadia is a fairly small school so it’s not like she won’t see the kids the following year.

Clarke walks into her classroom before the first bell of the day rings. She sits at her desk, closes her eyes and takes a couple of deep breaths. Today is all about fun and games. They’ve spent the last couple of days cleaning the rooms and getting their affairs in order. And now that all that is done, it’s just a matter of spending their last day as a class together.

Today they’re going to watch a movie, play some games, have pizza for lunch and have their school ceremony to say farewell to the Year 6’s. While she’s definitely sad to be saying goodbye to her class, she’s also excited for the holidays. It’s been a long year, good, but long and she’s ready to spend some quality time with her friends and family.

When there’s a few knocks coming from the door, she looks up to see Mia, Aden and Lexa peeking their heads in.

“Mind if we come in?” Lexa asks.

Clarke shakes her head and smiles. “Not at all.”

They all walk into the classroom and the first thing Clarke notices is that Aden is carrying a bouquet of flowers almost too big for his hands.

“These are for you!” Aden calls out as he approaches her table.

“Aww,” Clarke smiles. It’s another extravagant arrangement of small sun flowers, lilies, roses and orchids (but then again, Lexa’s bouquets are always extravagant). She accepts the flowers, “You spoil me.”

“The kids wanted to say thanks for being their teacher,” Lexa says.

Clarke looks towards the twins, “It’s been my pleasure.”

They make idle chat for the time being, with Clarke telling the kids about what they were going to do today. During this time, Clarke also finds a vase in the back of the cupboard so she’s able to keep the flowers in some water for the time being. Just as Mia’s coming back from filling the vase with water, there’s another couple of knocks coming from the door.

“Hey,” Clarke smiles as she sees her dad walk in.

“Morning Mr Griffin,” both Mia and Aden greet.

“Hey Mia, Aden. Are you excited for the last day of school?”

Mia nods first. “We’re going to watch a movie today!”

“And have pizza!” Aden adds

“Really?!” Jake exclaims. “Are you doing to save me a slice?”

Aden nods excitedly. “I’ll even save you _two_ slices!”

“Atta-boy,” Jake laughs. He then turns to Lexa, “It’s nice to see you again, Lexa.”

Lexa smiles. “You too, sir.”

Clarke places the flowers into the vase before looking back up towards her dad. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Just dropping by on my morning rounds.” He steps up towards the table and takes a better look at the flowers, “These are beautiful. I really need to come visit your store, Lexa,” he announces, “My wife would love these flowers.”

“Come by anytime,” Lexa replies.

Jake starts to head back out towards the door, “I definitely will,” he replies. “I should get back, bye.”

Every one says a quick goodbye before returning their attention to each other.

“I should probably get going,” Lexa says.

Clarke nods and it’s taking everything in her to not step up towards Lexa and hug and kiss the woman. She’s definitely been counting and it’s been nearly two days since she’s kissed Lexa. But fortunately, after today they’ll have a lot more time and opportunity to spend time with each other over the holidays.

“Thank you for the flowers.”

Lexa smiles. “Anytime.”

 

Movie time involves Lincoln’s Year 1 class as well. Since their rooms are connected by a door that can slide open, they both figured they share in their last day’s celebrations. While the kids are watching the movie in Lincoln’s class, Clarke sets up the tables and chairs for their pizza lunch. Raven’s been kind enough to bring the pizza’s by since she’s got the day off of work.

“Where do you want these?” Raven asks, stepping into the room with the pizza boxes in her hands.

“Middle of the room,” Clarke replies. “Thanks Raven.”

“No worries.” Raven places the boxes down on the table before leaving the room again without saying anything else. Clarke knows she’s out to get the rest of food from her car, so she continues to set everything up before the movie ends.

About ten minutes later, they’re all done. The pizzas are in the middle of the room, the drinks on another separate table and also one of the parents brought in enough cupcakes for the two classes.

“Thanks again for grabbing these for me,” Clarke says as she takes a seat at her desk.

Raven takes a seat as well and Clarke laughs at how ridiculous it looks for an adult to sit in one of the primary school chairs. “What are they watching next door?”

“Finding Nemo,” Clarke replies.

“Isn’t Ava sick of that movie yet?” Raven laughs. “She’s seen it at least a hundred times.”

Clarke shrugs playfully. “You remember how long she was obsessed with Dora, right?”

“Yeah, I do.” Raven pauses to scoot her chair a little closer to Clarke’s table. “So I ran into your dad as I was coming in and he straight up asked me if you and Lexa were a thing.”

Clarke almost gasps. “He did?” she whispers.

Raven nods. “Don’t worry, I told him it wasn’t my place to say anything but I’m pretty sure that gave it away.”

“Oh my god.”

“You haven’t told your parents yet?” Raven asks. “You and Lexa have been together for a couple of months now.”

“I know…”

“So…?”

“We are going to tell them. Ava and I are going to meet Lexa’s parents when they come up in a couple of days.”

Raven grins and leans in a little closer. “Really?”

Clarke nods. “Really,” she repeats. “And I guess I’ll find a time to tell my parents soon.”

“Well if your dad is asking me, it probably means your mum already knows.”

Clarke lets out a small sigh. “That’s probably true. But I’m surprised that they haven’t said anything yet. It’s not like they haven’t meddled in my past relationships.”

“They know Lexa is a single parent too,” Raven tells. “I think they know that this is different to your past relationships. They know you’ll tell them when you’re ready.”

Clarke nods and stretches her arms above her heads. “So, where are you off to now?”

“I have a lunch date… with Anya,” Raven replies slowly.

Clarke grins. “Did I just hear _date_ and _Anya_ in the same sentence?”

“Shut up, don’t make this a thing.”

“Like you didn’t make me and Lexa a thing?” Clarke laughs. She shakes her head, “Don’t think I’m just going to sit by and let you do your thing.”

“I regret telling you already.”

“So when did this happen?”

“Nothing’s happened yet,” Raven replies. “She just called me last night and we started talking.”

“You and Anya just ‘started talking’?” Clarke asks. They have been her friends for a while now and there’s always been a playful banter between the two of them. Sometimes they butt heads like nothing she’s ever seen before but it’s when they team up, that’s when the real trouble begins.

Raven shrugs her response and Clarke knows it’s a rare occasion when her best friend doesn’t know what to say. “Okay,” Clarke whispers with a smile. “You should go, don’t keep Anya waiting. You know she can get when people are late.”

Raven laughs. “Yeah, I should.”

“Thanks again for bringing the pizza.”

Raven stands up from her chair and nods. “I’ll see you back at home loser. Tell Cheesecake, Jam Tart and Squid I say hi.”

“I will.”

Once Raven leaves the room, Clarke makes her way over to Lincoln’s to see how much longer of the movie they have left. She opens the door that separates the two classrooms to see that she’s made it just in time to see the credits start rolling. She flicks open the lights and most of the kids let out a content sigh.

“How was the movie?” Lincoln asks everyone.

There’s an array of positive responses which slowly spread out into the kids having their own conversations. Lincoln makes his way over to Clarke, “Are we all good on lunch?”

Clarke nods. “Everything is set up. We should get the kids in before the pizzas get cold.”

Lincoln nods and clasps his hands together, walking back to the front of them room. He tells the kids that the pizzas are already set and warns them not to push each other or anything like that since there is more than enough for everyone.

Clarke steps back into her room and gets ready to hand paper plates and napkins for the kids. As Lincoln walks into the room as well, he pushes open the middle class room walls so that it folds away, opening up the space between the classrooms.

Once all the kids a settled between the classes, Clarke and Lincoln finally get some lunch themselves. They take a seat at Clarke’s desk with a pizza box to share between the two of them. Lincoln takes the first piece and nods his head towards the flowers.

“Lexa’s?”

Clarke smiles and nods. “They’re always so beautiful,” she whispers. “And whenever I think about getting her flowers, it feels like I’m going to betray her. Can’t buy her flowers from own store and I can’t go to another florist.”

Lincoln laughs. “That is a problem,” he jokes. “But you know she doesn’t care about those things.”

“I know. But I still want to spoil her, you know?”

“Things between you guys are still going strong?”

Clarke nods and looks around the room to find Mia, Aden and Ava all sitting next to each other. She can’t hear what they’re saying but the kids are all smiling and laughing and it warms her heart like it always does. She turns back to Lincoln, “I can really see a future with her,” she whispers.

“If it’s any consolation, I see it for you guys as well.”

Clarke reaches forward and places her hand over Lincoln’s shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. “Thank you.”

 

Once lunch is over, the rest of the afternoon is spent playing games. They do play a few as a class like Bingo, Heads Down Thumbs Up and Charades and they also break off into their own little groups to play a few boards games they have.

It really is just a peaceful afternoon for them all. Clarke wanders around to all groups of kids, making sure she spends time with everyone before the day ends. She finds herself in the middle of a game of Uno, playing Pictionary and painting a couple of things with some of her kids. It’s really hard for her to hold back her tears at this point, but she’s managing well so far.

When there’s about half an hour left till the final bell rings, Clarke gets all the kids to come sit up front in their open space. As they gather around, Clarke grabs a couple of boxes from the cupboard. She just wants some time to tell her kids and give them the gifts she’s gotten for everyone.

Clarke takes a seat on one of the short stools so she can see everyone. She lets out a small, happy sigh. “Year 2,” she whispers, “It really has been the best year being your teacher. I hope that I’ve made you as happy as you’ve made me.”

“You have!” Lucy calls out.

Aaron waves his hands up in the air. “We love you Miss Clarke!”

“And I love you,” Clarke smiles, “Every single one of you. You’ve all made coming to school so much fun. I’m pretty sure we’ve laughed every single day this year.”

“Yeah, from Ben’s bad jokes,” Mattie calls out.

The whole class laughs, even Ben.

“Your jokes are fantastic Ben,” Clarke laughs. “I will remember them forever and maybe even use one of them one day.”

Ben throws this arms up in the air, “YAY!”

“I will also remember how Tina wears a pink ribbon every Monday,” she continues, “I will remember the time Steven tried to scared Henry but ended up scaring himself.” Clarke pauses to laugh along with the other kids. “I will remember when Hunter scored the goal that one lunch time for _the other team._ And that time Samantha sang the school song, beautifully, for the first time. It’s been a great year, Year 2 and I am so happy that I was your teacher.”

Liana stands up and walks towards her with open arms. “We love you Miss Clarke.”

Clarke hugs her back and smiles. When she pulls back from the hug, she reaches into one of the boxes and looks for the Liana’s gift. “This is for you,” Clarke whispers, handing over the present. She then spends the next couple of minutes handing out the gifts to her other students. Each gift is pretty much the same an activity book, a set of pencils, a small novelty toy, a custom key chain with their name, a candy cane and a Christmas card.

Once everyone has their gifts, Clarke takes a few more moments to thank everyone again. While she’s taught these kids a lot, they have done the same for her. It’s always refreshing when she learns something herself in the classroom, it’s an invaluable feeling and Clarke cherishes all of it.

Ben eventually puts his hand up. “Miss Clarke? Can I please go to my bag?”

Clarke raises her eyebrow. “What do you need Ben?”

He pauses for a moment before looking around to his classmates. “We… Please?” he asks. “I’ll be just one second.”

“Okay,” Clarke nods. “Take Mattie with you. Be quick.”

“Will do, Miss Clarke.”

Clarke watches as Ben and Mattie jump up from the floor and walk out of the room. It’s about fifteen seconds later that they return with what looks like to be a scrap book of some sorts. Ben approaches her and hands over the book with a wide grin.

“What’s this?” Clarke asks. It’s a hardcover book and on the cover it’s got “MISS CLARKE” painted onto it.

“We all,” Ben points to everyone in the class, “Made a scrapbook for you to remember this year.”

Clarke places her hand over her heart, “Aww.” She puts the book aside and opens up her arms inviting Ben and Mattie in for a quick hug. What she doesn’t expect though is for everyone in the class to stand up and join in on the hug as well.

The remaining time flies by and before Clarke knows it, the final bell rings. She stands outside her classroom, watching as the kids grab their bags and say their goodbyes. She shares a few more hugs and wishes all the kids a happy holiday and that she can’t wait to see them again next year.

As the crowd slowly disperses, Ava comes by and greets Clarke with a quick hug before jumping in on Lexa’s conversation with Mia and Aden. She watches for just a moment, watching at how easy and how naturally Ava slips into their little group. Lexa greets Ava with a quick hug before assumedly asking about her day.

Clarke spends the next couple of minutes saying goodbye to the rest of her kids. It’s another bittersweet moment but as the last of her kids leave, Lexa walks up to her.

“Hey,” Lexa smiles.

“Hi.”

“So, if you’re not doing anything tonight why don’t you and Ava come over?” Lexa asks. “I’ll make dinner, we can just relax, watch a movie…”

“You had me at _come over.”_

They spend the next couple of minutes talking about what they can have for dinner and if Clarke needs to bring anything in particular. Clarke’s still got to do a few things around the school and Lexa offers to take Ava with her first.

And it’s funny how Ava over hears it immediately, running over to say, “Yes, yes, pleeeease, please, please can I go with Lexa first?”

Clarke chuckles softly. “Of course you can.” She kneels down to her daughter’s level and smiles, “Be good. I’ll be by once I’m done here.”

“Love you, mum.”

“Love you too.”

 

* * *

 

There’s a slight change of plans the coming week. Lexa’s parents were meant to come up for two days, but with an unexpected problem coming up at the farm, they only end up coming on the Tuesday. While Lexa wishes that they could spend a little more time together, she knows the life of the farm pretty well. Plus, she knows that they’ll have some good time during Christmas.

So it’s now Tuesday and she’s having brunch with her parents (Gustus and Indra), the twins and Anya. They’re about halfway through the meal and Mia and Aden have been sharing stories from school. Mia brings up Clarke more often than not and Lexa’s heart skips a couple of beats every time. While she’s definitely planning on telling her parents about Clarke during this meal – she’s just hoping that Mia doesn’t let it slip first.

Before it does accidently slips, Lexa finds just the right moment to tell her parents about Clarke. She’s thankful that Mia, Aden and even Anya are with her right now, because Lexa knows that they’ll definitely help.

“So… mum… dad…” Lexa says, “I want to tell you something.”

Her dad looks up from his food, “What is it dear?”

“So I’ve been seeing someone for a couple of months now,” Lexa replies.

Her mum raises an eyebrow. “Who is she?”

Lexa nods. “Her name is Clarke Griffin.”

“Clarke?” her dad asks. “Is this the same Clarke as _Miss Clarke?”_

“Yes. And before you say anything, we’ve been taking things slow and there’s been no trouble with her being the twin’s teacher.”

Her mum takes a sip of her drink. “I’m assuming we’re meeting Clarke tonight?”

“Yes,” Lexa nods. “And you should know that she’s a mum too. She has a daughter a year younger than Mia and Aden.”

“Her name is Ava! And we’re best friends,” Mia adds.

“Really?” Gustus asks.

Mia nods. “You’ll like Ava, I promise. You’ll like Clarke too.”

“Clarke and Ava are really great,” Lexa tells her parents. “They kind, loving and they make us really happy.” She lets the smile grow across her face as her parents just nod along in response. They’ve never been much for words but Lexa can tell that they seem to be okay with it – at least for now. She knows it might be a different story come the BBQ later tonight.

Anya chimes in, offering her words of support too. “They are really great,” she says to her parents. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them all _this_ happy.”

“Well I look forward to meeting her,” Indra says.

Gustus nods too. “Me too.”

 

Bruch eventually ends with them going their separate ways. Lexa’s parents know that she’s going to the rescue shelter and they offer to take the kids out for the afternoon. Anya’s also been kind enough to run out and buy food for the BBQ later tonight.

“Be good, okay?” Lexa says as she kisses Mia’s forehead. She moves to kiss Aden’s as well, “Mama will meet you back at home soon.”

“Where are you going?” Mia asks.

“Clarke and I have some things to do,” Lexa replies. She isn’t lying but she’s also leaving out a very important part to the story (for good reason though). “She and Ava will be at the BBQ tonight so you’ll see them later.”

“YAY!” Mia exclaims. She comes in for another quick hug before stepping back.

Once her parents drive off, Lexa gives Anya a list of things she needs her to buy. It isn’t much because Lexa’s already prepped most of the food so she can start cooking once she gets back home.

“So that went well,” Anya says as they walk towards their car.

Lexa nods slightly. “Don’t speak too soon. Mum and dad don’t have much experience with meeting the people we date.”

“It’ll be fine.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Lexa laughs, “You’ve always managed to avoid bringing people home to meet them.”

Anya shrugs.

“You think it’s too late to back out of this dinner?” Lexa jokes.

Anya laughs and shakes her head. They reach Lexa’s car first, “So you’re going to pick up Clarke and go?” Lexa nods as she unlocks her can and gets in. “Better come back with a cute dog,” Anya replies. “Actually just Snapchat me before you make a decision.”

“I’m not going to Snapchat you.”

“Yes you are.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Fine.”

Lexa raises an eyebrow as her sister helps close the door. It’s not common for Anya to give up on something so easily so she knows her sister is planning something. But before she can give it too much thought – Anya’s waving her off and walking away.

 

When Lexa knocks on Clarke’s door, it’s not even two seconds before it’s being opened and she’s being pulled in. There isn’t any time for greetings as Clarke pushes her against the door and crashing their kips together. It’s a heated kiss, with Lexa’s hands tracing the curve of Clarke’s waist.

“Hi,” Lexa breathes as the kiss ends.

Clarke bushes their noses over together, “Hi.”

“Ready to go?”

Clarke nods and leans in again for another kiss before stepping away to grab her bag. “How was brunch?”

“It was good,” Lexa replies. She walks up behind Clarke and wraps her arms around the woman, “I told them about us.”

“You did?”

Lexa hums in response and nuzzles herself in the crook of Clarke’s neck. “You’ll meet them tonight at the BBQ, so just… prepare yourself for that.”

Clarke laughs softly and turns herself around to face Lexa. She cups the side of Lexa’s face and just smiles in response before leaning in for another quick kiss. “Let’s go, I want to see these dogs.”

 

They get to the rescue shelter about half an hour later and Lexa takes Clarke’s hand and guides them in. There they meet Andy, who tells them about the adoption process and what Lexa can expect from here on out. They talk about the formalities for about ten minutes before he’s letting them in through to the shelter.

“So do you have an idea on what type of dog you want?” Clarke asks.

Lexa shakes her head as she comes to a stop at the first stall. “Maybe not one too big, but that’s about it.” The shelter is set up so that there’s a range of stalls with two dogs in them each. On the doors, there’s a sheet that gives the basic information on each dog in that particular stall.

Andy follows close by, keeping an eye on some other people in the shelter as well. He tells them that there’s also an outside play pen where some of the dogs are currently playing in. Lexa walks through the shelter with Clarke by her side and she’s excited about adopting one of these dogs.

She grew up on the farm with a couple of dogs and cats and it’s a memory she cherishes from her childhood. Her pets were always a source of joy for her and her sister and she wants Mia and Aden to have that as well.

“Leo,” Clarke reads out as she comes to stop at a stall, “2 years old, rescued from an abandoned house 6 months ago.”

Lexa laughs as she walks up to Clarke, “Leo is a Great Dane, Clarke. Probably one of the biggest dogs here.”

“But look at how cute he is.” Clarke taps at the door of the stall, prompting Leo to come up. “You’re so cute, so cute, so cute,” she continues.

“He is,” Lexa smiles, placing her hand on the door as well. “He’s just a bit too big for us.”

“Fair enough. Bye Leo, may we meet again,” Clarke waves.

They continue on through the shelter, hand-in-hand and meeting almost every dog along the wave. From time to time Lexa forgets that she’s meant to be finding a dog to adopt – her mind just occupies itself with the feeling of having Clarke by her side. Occasionally there’s a little nudge, a small peck on the cheek or even a smile and Lexa’s heart is fluttering.

 

“So did you have any pets?” Lexa asks. They’re now outside in the play pen amongst fifteen or so dogs. They’re both sitting towards the middle, throwing a few toys around and letting the dogs crawl all over them.

“I did,” Clarke replies. She picks up a Pomeranian that walks past and hugs it, “Mocca. He was a beagle but he got pretty sick…”

“I’m sorry,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke shakes her head. “It’s fine. I’ve always wanted another dog but then college happened and the apartment we live in now doesn’t allow for pets.”

Lexa ruffles another dog that walks past. “Well, you and Ava are welcome over anytime when I finally adopt one.”

“See any dogs you like?”

“Hmm.” Lexa looks around the play pen and she’s definitely not short of any choices, plus there’s also the dogs inside she can consider. But then one does catch her eye and call her crazy, but she feels an instant connection to it. There’s a black and white border collie running towards her and Lexa knows that it’s the one.

“Hey buddy,” Lexa smiles as it jumps up into her arms. She manages to take a look at the collar, “Teddy,” she reads.

“Teddy seems to like you,” Clarke says.

Lexa lifts Teddy a little higher and scrunches her face slightly as he tries to lick her face. “I think I like Teddy too.” She pulls him back just slightly, “How do you feel about becoming a part of the family?”

Teddy responds by barking a couple of times, which Lexa will definitely considers a yes.

“Ah I see you found Teddy,” Andy says as he approaches the play pen. “He’s been with us for a couple of weeks, very playful, great with kids.”

“I bet you say that about all the dogs,” Clarke teases.

“Yeah, yeah I do,” Andy laughs. “But it doesn’t make it not true. If he is the one for you, then bring him back inside and we can start the process.”

Lexa takes a couple more moments of playing around with Teddy and she falls in love with him. He’s exactly what she’s looking for and when she looks up to Clarke, she sees Clarke taking a photo. “What are you doing?” she asks.

Clarke smiles. “Anya asked for a photo. Why didn’t she ask you for one?”

Lexa laughs and shrugs, posing as Clarke takes a few photos. After what seems like a ridiculous number of photos Lexa raises an eyebrow. “Don’t you have enough?” she laughs.

Clarke shakes her head and scoots closer so that they’re sitting next to each other. “I can never have too many photos of you.” She holds up the camera and they both prepare themselves to take a couple of selfies.

Seeing them both smile at the camera with Teddy and the other dogs surrounding them, has Lexa feeling she’s on cloud nine. When Clarke doesn’t suspect it, Lexa leans in and kisses her on the cheek and she notices that Clarke does manage to take a few photos of the moment. Clarke keeps holding up her phone but turns her head so that she can kiss Lexa properly.

 

About ten minutes later Lexa is at the counter and filling in the rest of the paper work. Here she learns a little more about Teddy’s history and what he is trained and not trained in. There’s also a bit more Lexa needs to do before she can take Teddy home, but the application is in process and Andy tells them that they should get Teddy in about two weeks.

Lexa and Clarke take just another minute to say goodbye to Teddy before heading off. They actually spent a lot less time in the shelter than she initially thought they would, so they have some extra time. Before they get into the car, Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke’s shoulders. They kind of just stand there for a moment, smiling.

“So…” Clarke whispers. “I was thinking that maybe Ava and I can sleep over tonight?”

Lexa smiles. “I would love that.” She leans in and kisses Clarke for a moment. “Do you want to go back to your place to grab some clothes?”

“Yes, please.”

 

* * *

 

“Fuuuuck,” Clarke pants, “Pl–” Her words are cut off as Lexa pulls her in for a searing kiss. She’s meant to be packing an overnight bag for her and Ava, but that obviously has been put on hold for the time being.

Clarke is straddling Lexa’s hips, grinding down so that their centres are rubbing against each other. It’s slick and wet and the feeling has Clarke _almost_ at a loss for words. She continues to rock into Lexa, moaning into their kisses in an attempt to stay as connected as she can.

Lexa’s hands don’t ever leave Clarke’s body, running up and down the expanse of her back and over the curve of her ass. What Clarke notices is that Lexa’s touches are always soft and tender and it always makes Clarke feel _so much._ It always makes her feel like it’s a lot more than just sex.

When she’s close, Clarke has to break away from the kiss to catch her breath. But she stays close, resting their foreheads against each other and just continues to rock into Lexa. By now, there’s a thin layer of sweat coaxing either of their bodies but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Let go,” Lexa whispers. She doesn’t let Clarke respond, but instead pulls her in for another kiss.

It’s enough for Clarke to really feel her orgasm coming. She rocks a little more furiously and kisses Lexa with a little more passion. When she comes, Clarke nuzzles herself into the crook of Lexa’s neck and rides out her wave of pleasure. Lexa continues to whisper quiet reassurances as she comes down from her high, keeping her hands on Clarke’s hips.

When it passes, Clarke lifts her head up and just kisses Lexa again. It’s a slow kiss, their tongues sliding against each other with quiet moans rippling between their lips. “God,” Clarke whispers, “You’re amazing.”

Lexa tucks some of Clarke’s hair behind her ears. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.”

Clarke moves herself so that she’s resting her head on Lexa’s chest. They just lie there for a while, with Lexa wrapping her arms around Clarke and whispering quiet nothings to fill the silence. 

“We should probably get going soon,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke merely hums in response but makes no effort to move, causing Lexa to laugh softly. It’s moments like these that she can picture in the future. It’s moments like these that Clarke knows that she wants Lexa in her life. They’ve only been together a couple of months at this point, but what a great couple of months it’s been.

They do both eventually move, putting their clothes back on and moving about the apartment to gather things for Clarke and Ava. It takes about an hour before they’re ready to leave. They would have been done earlier but they both ended up cuddling on the couch for a while.

 

* * *

 

Clarke helps carry out the food to the tables outside. It’s just after 5pm, Lexa is at the BBQ with Anya, Octavia’s inside putting Lucas to sleep, and Bellamy and Lincoln have gone out to buy some more ice. It’s a small gathering, with only a few extra people expected to come since Lexa’s parents can’t stay late anyways.

To say she’s nervous about meeting Lexa’s parents is an understatement. While she’s known them for a while, she’s never really sat down and had a proper conversation with them.  Now they know about her relationship with Lexa, and Clarke’s just trying to make sure she doesn’t make a fool of her herself tonight.

Clarke then makes her way towards Lexa, kissing her cheek softly upon greeting. “Everything’s all done.”

“Thank you,” Lexa smiles. She turns so that they can share a proper kiss, one lasting a little longer than intended.

Anya clears her throat. “Gross.”

“You’re more than welcome to leave,” Lexa bites back.

“But then there’s no one to tease you,” Anya replies. “Where is Raven? It’s always more fun with her here.”

Clarke raises an eyebrow, “Speaking of… how was your date with Raven.”

“That’s my queue to leave.” Without waiting for a response, Anya’s leaving the BBQ area and heading off back inside the house.

“Oh…” Lexa whispers.

“What is it?”

“I forgot to chop the onions. Do you mind?”

Clarke shakes her head. “Not at all.” She kisses Lexa’s cheek once more before making her way inside as well. She makes her way towards the kitchen and finds everything with ease. She’s been here enough times to now to know where everything is.  As she’s chopping the onions, Anya joins her in the kitchen.

“Nervous about meeting my parents?” Anya asks.

Clarke nods. “A little, yeah.” She pauses to take a deep breath as the onions are really getting her now. “Any pointers?”

“My parents are pretty protective, especially over Mia and Aden,” Anya replies.

Clarke completely understands. With everything that Mia and Aden have gone through, she wouldn’t have expected anything less.

“But I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Anya continues, “All my parents want is for Lexa and the kids to be happy and you make them happy. Like, really happy.”

“They make me really happy too,” Clarke smiles.

“I’d be blind to not know that already.”

Clarke lets out a small laugh. “How do you think they’ll take it when they find out I have a daughter as well?”

“They already know.” Anya takes a sip of her drink before continuing, “My parents will love Ava, I can assure you that.” There’s a pause. “Aw, are you crying already Griffin?”

Clarke rolls her eyes. “You know it’s the onions.” She finishes chopping before gathering the onions into a bowl and moving to wash her hands.

“So where is Ava?”

Clarke wipes her eyes with a tissue, “She’s with Raven.”

“Do you know when they’ll be here?”

Clarke shrugs. “I messaged her just before and all she said was that she’ll be here when she’s here.”

“Typical,” Anya laughs.

As they’re about to make their way back to Lexa, the doorbell rings. Since it’s on the way, Clarke decides to join Anya to answering the door, just in case it is Raven and Ava. But the door opens it’s definitely not them. Clarke recognises them from the photo’s she seen, but nothing could prepare her for how intimidating they both are at first.

“Mum,” Anya greets, “Dad, hey.”

Mia and Aden come running through the door, giving Anya and Clarke a quick “HI” each before they’re off to find their mum.

“Hey there sweetheart,” Gustus replies. He turns towards Clarke, “Clarke, right?”

Clarke smiles and nods. “Yes, sir,” she blurts out.

“So formal,” Gustus teases. “You can just call me Gustus.”

“Hello Gustus.”

Gustus points to his wife, “This is my wife, Indra.” There’s a small pause as they exchange a quick greeting as well before he continues. “I can’t believe that this is the first time we’ve actually talked. I feel like I know you already.”

Clarke laughs. “Likewise.”

They all head inside, with Gustus, Indra and Anya moving into the kitchen and Clarke returning to Lexa outside. As she’s walking towards the BBQ, she sees Mia and Aden sharing what seems to be a rather exciting story.

“Hey guys,” Clarke says as she approaches hem. She places the bowl of onions on the side table before returning her focus to the twins, “How was your day?”

“IT WAS SO COOL!” Aden yells. “WE WENT INTO THE CITY AND PLAYED AT THIS GIANT PLAYGROUND!”

“The slide was so big! Aden nearly fell off!” Mia recounts.

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes you did!”

Aden shakes his head but drops the subject, “And we saw seven dogs at the park!”

“Seven?” Clarke asks.

“SEVEN!” Aden repeats. “There were so much dogs.”

“Is Ava coming over today?” Mia asks.

Clarke kneels down to the twins’ level. “Yeah she is,” she replies. “And I was thinking… how do you feel about a sleepover tonight?”

“You’re both sleeping over?” Mia asks excitedly.

Clarke nods. “If that’s okay with you guys.”

They both nod with a wide grin on their faces. “Will you read us a bedtime story?” Aden asks.

“Of course.”

“Are you guys hungry?” Lexa asks.

Both Mia and Aden nod. “Okay, so why don’t you guys head inside and wash your hands?” Clarke suggests. “Then we can eat once you’re back.”

Clarke watches as the twins head off inside before moving to stand besides Lexa.

Lexa nudges Clarke playfully, “So did you run into my parents?”

“I did. So i’ve seen photos of them but they’re pretty intimidating in person,” Clarke admits. “We talked for like five seconds, but I think so far so good.”

“You’d have to be a complete fool to stuff things up already.”

Clarke laughs. “Oh you’ve gone and jinxed it now.”

“You’ll be fine,” Lexa reassures. She leans in and Clarke meets her halfway for a soft kiss. A quick, little moan escapes both their lips and they’re breaking away before anything else happens.

“ _Clarke Griffin… you are all my grandkids have been talking about.”_

Clarke turns around to see Gustus and Indra towards them. Her heart beat does quicken and she takes a quick deep breath. “All good things I hope,” she replies.

Gustus nods. “All good.” They both greet Lexa quickly, making idle chat about the day they’ve had. They ask about the dog and Clarke and Lexa both tell them about it all. So far it’s a light and easy conversation, but Clarke feels like they’re definitely easing her into it. She’ll probably be hounded with questions soon enough.

“Oh Lexa,” Gustus says, “We invited some friends also.”

“Now?”

“Yes.” And as if on cue, the doorbell rings, “Oh that should be them.”

They all wait as Anya calls out that she’ll get the door. Clarke looks over to Lexa, who gives a slight shrug. They’re just as confused as each other but even Clarke knows that they wouldn’t bring by just _any_ friends to their daughter’s home.

But what she sees next, she doesn’t expect. Walking towards the door is Raven and Ava, but also her own parents. Clarke’s jaw almost hits the ground as she sees her parents greet Gustus and Indra like they’ve been friends forever.

At this point Clarke cannot come up with any reason as to what she’s witnessing at the moment. It’s like she doesn’t even exist at this point. Her parents talk and laugh with Lexa’s parents, seemingly ignoring the weird looks Clarke (and Lexa) are giving them.

“What’s going on?” Clarke asks.

Lexa shakes her head in disbelief. “I have no idea… Maybe if we sneak away quietly they won’t notice.”

“I like the sound of that,” Clarke whispers. But it’s too late, her parents are now walking towards her. Ava jumps into her arms and Clarke greets her with a quick kiss on the cheek. But of course, her parents greet Lexa first and it isn’t too long before they’re explaining how they’ve come to be here.

So, Raven took out Ava out shopping where they ran into Clarke’s parents. And from there they had lunch together in the same park Mia and Aden just happen to be. Apparently, they’ve all spent the afternoon together, talking and getting to know each other. That’s all there is to the story and Clarke does not know what to think at this point.

Clarke glares at Raven, “Thanks for the heads up.”

“And miss your reaction to this?” Raven asks. “I think not. Plus it’s not entirely my fault, Anya knew as well.”

“I hate you,” Clarke jokes.

Ava covers Clarke’s mouth rather quickly, “Don’t say _hate_!” she yells.

Everyone around them chuckles and Clarke lets out a content sigh. Everyone else soon arrives and they’re all settling down for dinner. At this point Clarke’s just waiting for the ball to drop. If she thought meeting Lexa’s parents was a lot, having her own parents here just takes it up a couple of levels. She hasn’t exactly told her parents that she’s dating again, but if they’re here they surely know.

As per usual, the kids have their own table.  Anya, Raven, Octavia, Lincoln and Bellamy decide to eat inside – giving Clarke, Lexa and their parents some time to talk. Clarke makes sure the kids all have what they need before finding a seat next to Lexa. She’s barely comfortable before her mum is asking her, “So, how long have you and Lexa been dating?”

“A couple of months now,” Clarke replies. “I was going to tell you,” she looks to her dad as well, “We both decided that it was time.”

“And you’ve been Mia and Aden’s teacher?” Indra asks.

“Mum,” Lexa sighs.

Clarke reaches over to Lexa’s hand, giving it a small squeeze. “It’s fine,” she whispers. “And yes, I have been,” Clarke tells Indra. “But we’ve taken things slow and made sure we didn’t disrupt their school in any way.”

“The twins speak very highly of you, Clarke,” Gustus adds. “Even I can tell that you’ve become a big part of their lives.”

Clarke smiles. “They’ve become a big part of my life too.” She looks to her parents and just explains how their relationship has come about. Of course, she doesn’t go into too much detail, it’s more about what they’ve talked about in terms of each other and the fact that they both have kids.

At least from Clarke’s perspective the conversation seems to be going well. Of course her parents and Lexa’s parents have their concerns about the kids, but Clarke reassures them that it’s not needed. Clarke is sure of her relationship with Lexa and what it means in terms of the kids in the future and vice versa for Lexa.

The conversation is a lot easier than Clarke expected, but maybe it is because they do both have kids and they both know and understand what they’re getting into. While they have been taking things slow, they’ve definitely built up a very strong relationship – and they both know it. Clarke’s pretty sure that her parents and Lexa’s see it too.

 

Inevitably, Clarke does find herself alone with Gustus and Indra. Though she’s been preparing herself all night for it, she’s still a little nervous. She is sure of her feelings and sure of what it means in terms of Mia and Aden and she just wants to make sure that Gustus and Indra see it too. Family is a big thing in both their lives, so it is important that Clarke gets along with Lexa’s parents (and vice versa).

Gustus and Indra gestures for Clarke to take a seat at the dining room table. Everyone else is outside, watching the kids play a makeshift ring toss Raven had set up.

“We just want to talk to you for a second,” Gustus says.

Clarke nods. “Of course.”

“Are you serious about this relationship?” Indra asks. Before Clarke can respond she’s continuing, “Because we can tell Lexa is invested, so are the kids.”

“And with everything that’s happened already, we don’t want to see them get hurt,” Gustus adds.

“I am serious about this relationship.” Clarke pauses and smiles softly. “I know what it’s like to have them in my life and I don’t want to lose that.”

“And you’re ready to become… _someone_ for Mia and Aden as your relationship progresses?” Indra asks.

Clarke nods without hesitation. She’s definitely thought about the future she wants with Lexa, Mia, Aden and Ava. There’s nothing else she wants than for them to become a family. She knows that it’s crazy how her feelings have developed in such a short amount of time, but they’re just so strong and so _there_ that she can’t ignore them.

“You have a beautiful daughter,” Clarke whispers, “And beautiful grandkids. I just want to make them as happy as they make me and Ava.”

“You have a beautiful daughter too, Clarke,” Gustus smiles.

Indra nods. “She and Mia seem to get along really well.”

“They do,” Clarke confirms.

“Does Ava get Aden get along too?”

Clarke nods. “They do. They actually do karate together.” She pauses and takes a look between Gustus and Indra. Their expressions have softened just slightly during the course of their short conversation, but it’s enough for Clarke to feel at ease.

“You and Ava should come up to the farm one day,” Gustus offers. “Aden tells me you love daises and we’ve just planted a whole field of them.”

Clarke laughs and little and smiles. “I do love daises and I would love to.”

“Then it’s settled, you are welcomed anytime you are free.”

“Thank you, Gustus.”

 

* * *

 

Lexa knows that sometime during the night she would be alone with Clarke’s parents. They’re currently outside on their own table as everyone else watches the kids play ring toss. Frankly, she isn’t nervous. Lexa’s met and talked to both Jake and Abby a handful of times and she thinks she’s made a good impression.

“You must have seen this conversation coming,” Jake whispers as they watch the kids play.

Lexa nods. “I did. I bet my parents are talking to Clarke right now as well.”

Both Jake and Abby laugh. “We both know you and your kids,” Abby says, “And tonight just showed us how strong the relationship is between the five of you.”

“Though I probably don’t have to say this, it’s implied that we just don’t want to see _any_ of you get hurt,” Jake whispers.

Lexa nods understandably. “When we moved here, the last thing I expected was to meet someone I would feel so strongly for.” She pauses and watches as Ava screams with excitement as they play ring toss. “Ava is an absolute delight and I love her, I do.”

“And Clarke?” Abby asks with a small smile.

Lexa takes a moment before she nods. “I love your daughter too,” she replies, “I just haven’t told her yet.”

“Our lips are sealed,” Abby says. She nudges Jake as the smirk on his face only widens, “Aren’t they dear?”

Jake nods. “Yes, of course.”

The conversation carries on with Lexa telling Jake and Abby a little about Mia and Aden’s childhood. She shares her favourite stories, tells them a little about Costia and their life back in Polis. They really welcome her with open arms, also sharing their own stories about Clarke and Ava.

 

With Lexa’s parents still needing to drive back to the farm, everyone says their goodbyes just before 9pm. As she locks the front door and starts to close the blinds around the house, Lexa can hear Clarke telling the kids to start getting ready for bed. She can’t quite explain it, but there’s this joy about doing such simple tasks together that washes over Lexa.

She spends the next fifteen minutes cleaning down the rest of the kitchen. They’re pretty mindless tasks so the only thing that’s running through her mind at this point is what she’s told Jake and Abby. Lexa loves Clarke. Ever since she said it out loud, she’s just had a constant feeling of butterflies, joy and pure whole-hearted happiness.

Now she just needs to tell Clarke.

Closing the lights along the way, Lexa starts to make her way towards the kids’ bedrooms. It surprises her that Mia’s room is empty and so is Aden’s when she walks past. But then a string of soft laughter carries through the hallway that tells Lexa that they’re all in her bedroom. Clarke’s voice ranges from high to low as she reads a bedtime story to the kids.

Her door is slightly ajar but when Lexa is just about to enter, she stops herself as she hears Clarke finish the story. Lexa stands just outside and listens in to the conversation that happens next.

“ _Alright, time for bed,”_ Clarke says.

“ _Awwwww.”_

Clarke laughs a little. “ _We can read some more tomorrow,”_ she reassures.

“ _YAY!”_ Mia screams.

There’s a moment of quiet and Lexa is pretty sure that the kids are hugging Clarke at this point. There’s quiet rustling and mumbles but eventually Aden’s voice is heard.

“ _I love you Clarke_ ,” he whispers.

 _“I love you too,”_ Mia adds.

“ _And I love you guys_ ,” Clarke replies. While Lexa can’t see her, she can hear the smile in Clarke’s response and her heart is beating right out of her chest. Ava is quick to join in on the love, and it seems like there’s another round of hugs shared between them.

“Do you love mama too?” Mia asks.

“I do.”

Lexa grins to herself, placing her hand right over her heart to feel the beating pick up even more.

“ _I HAVE TO GO TELL LEXA!”_ Ava exclaims.

“ _AVA_!”

Before Lexa knows it, Ava is swinging the door right open and jumping up into her arms. “Hey,” Lexa greets, “Where’s the fire?” she jokes.

“No fire,” Ava replies.

Lexa walks into the bedroom to see Mia, Aden and Clarke comfortably on her bed. She holds onto Ava a little tighter and smiles. “Did you have fun tonight?”

Ava nods. “I like your parents,” she replies, “They’re so funny and they said we can go visit the farm one day!”

“Do you want to go?”

“Yes! Will you take us?”

Lexa nods. “Of course I will.”

“Can I come to?” Clarke asks jokingly.

Lexa looks to Ava, “What do you say? Can your mum come too?”

Ava taps her chin and thinks about it seriously for a moment. “Well I guess…” she replies rather seriously.

Clarke places her hand over her heart to mock being offended. She then puts her arms around both Aden and Mia and grins, “That’s fine, i’ll just have Mia and Aden take me with them.”

They all share a moment of laughter before Lexa tells them that it’s time for bed. They give Clarke another hug and say their final goodbyes as they make their way out. While Mia and Ava run into their own room, Lexa puts Aden to sleep first. After a kiss on the forehead and tucking the sheets around him, Lexa then makes her way to the girls’ room to do the same.

Once she’s back in her room, Clarke seems to be on the phone with someone. So Lexa uses this time to grab her clothes, towel and gestures that she’s going to take a shower. It’s a pretty quick shower because all she wants to do is fall into bed with Clarke.

Lexa comes out of the bathroom and walks over towards Clarke. Without saying anything she straddles Clarke’s lap and lets out a small, content sigh. The flutter in her heart and the butterflies in her stomach haven’t stopped at all. Lexa cups either side of Clarke’s face and leans in to kiss her slowly.

“I love you too,” Lexa whispers as breaks away from the kiss.

“You heard that?”

Lexa nods. “I did. In fact I actually told your parents earlier in the night.”

Clarke pulls back from the embrace and raises an eyebrow, “You told them before you told me?”

“Hey, you told the kids before you told me,” Lexa argues.

“Fair enough,” Clarke laughs. She pulls in for another kiss, her hands coming to rest atop Lexa’s thighs. “I love you, Lexa Woods.”

“I love you, Clarke Griffin.”

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> christmas and the new year

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a little later than i wanted but here is a holiday chapter for this fic! :) 
> 
> happy (late) new years/holidays! hope you're all well xx
> 
> also this is unedited but i will come back and fix it up later.

It’s a Monday afternoon when Lexa comes home after half a day at the florist and taking the twins to the dentist for a quick check-up. It’s been a busy week for her, going back fourth from the store, to Christmas shopping, to making sure the kids are enjoying their holiday break.

While it has been busy, tomorrow is Lexa’s Christmas day with Clarke and Ava before she goes up to the farm to celebrate Christmas with her family. It’s been something she’s been looking forward since they’ve planned it.

As she finishes packing away the few things she brought, the doorbell rings. She’s not expecting anyone at the moment so she curiously makes her way to answer the call. At the other side is a man who Lexa does not know.

“ _Hi. I’m Gabe from Springfree Trampolines. I’m here to deliver your trampoline,”_ he greets.

Lexa raises an eyebrow, “I didn’t order a trampoline…”

“Are you…” he pauses to take a look at his tablet, “Lexa Woods?”

“Yes…?”

“Then I’m at the right place.” He navigates through his tablet for a moment before speaking up again, “There’s a message attached… the trampoline is from ‘the best aunt in the world’.”

Lexa is a little dumbfounded but lets Gabe and his co-worker (Tristan) come through to the backyard to set up. She helps hold open the door as they carry a number of boxes into the house and out the back. They suggest and discuss various places for the trampoline, also going onto to explain the product itself and that it’s been named one of the safest trampolines to date.

As Gabe and Tristan work, Lexa goes back inside to find her phone. The kids have caught on quick and are currently pressing their faces against the glass as they watch the men work.

“Mama!” Aden yells. “What are the people doing?”

Lexa moves to grab her phone, “Apparently, your Aunt Anya brought you guys a trampoline.”

“A TRAMPOLINE?!” Mia asks.

Lexa nods with a small smile. Anya’s first words when the twins were born was “I’m going to be the best aunt in the world,” and she’s definitely been living up to her word. Lexa gets her sister on a call and is greeted by an all too familiar greeting.

“ _NO! WHERE’S THE SILK?”_

_“What do you mean the veil isn’t here yet?”_

_“Where’s the other bridesmaid dress?!”_

_“This should have been done yesterday!”_

_“Jemma, get Mr Tan to call me when he can.”_

It’s about a minute later that Anya’s end of the call seems to settle down, “ _Hey,”_ her sister greets, “ _Sorry. Busy day.”_

“I can call back later,” Lexa replies.

Anya hums a quiet ‘no’. “ _It’s okay, I need some fresh air anyways. What’s up?”_

“You bought the twins a trampoline…” Lexa replies. It’s half a statement and half a question.

“ _The damn thing finally came?!”_ Anya asks. “ _It was meant to be at your house like 3 days ago.”_

“Anya…”

“ _Oh come on, it’s my Christmas gift to the kids.”_

“It’s one hell of a gift,” Lexa whispers. She peers out through the window to see the guys starting to set up. They’re talking and pointing in all sorts of direction at this point.

“ _It’s the safest trampoline on the market right now.”_

Lexa nods to herself. “I know, I’ve seen the commercials.”

“ _Have the kids seen it yet?”_

Lexa turns towards Mia and Aden, who still have their faces pressed against the window. She smiles, “They’re watching the guys set up as we speak.”

“ _Everything has been paid for so the only thing they you need to do is sign for it.”_

“Thank you, Anya,” Lexa whispers. Before she can continue, Anya’s being called away by one of her co-workers.

“ _Got to go, duty calls.”_

“Alright,” Lexa replies, “I’ll be sure to get the twins to thank you later tonight.”

“ _You know what? I’ll come by after work. I want to see the trampoline.”_ She pauses to say something to someone else. “ _Don’t cook dinner, I’ll bring something for us.”_

“Okay, I’ll see you later tonight.”

“See you later.”

Lexa hangs up the call and prompts Mia and Aden to go and finish cleaning their rooms. “The trampoline will be right there when you’re done,” she tells them. They reluctantly peel themselves away from the window and rush to their bedrooms. In the meantime Lexa cleans up the living room. There’s random toys, books and DVDs all over the place but it doesn’t take her too long to get everything in order.

She eventually starts to rearrange a couple of the gifts under their Christmas tree. The tree is by the empty side of the living room, filled with a range of colourful ornaments. A couple of the gifts are for them, while the others are for their friends and family who they haven’t had a chance to see yet.

By the time the twins finish cleaning their rooms, Gabe and Tristan have not finished setting up the trampoline yet. While they want to just sit and stare, Lexa decides to keep them busy for the time being. Aden reads through one of his favourite picture books as Lexa sits with Mia at the piano and practices a couple of songs with her.

About twenty minutes later, there’s a knock at the window and they’re all making their way out to see the fully set-up trampoline. It’s a circular trampoline with an enclosed net around the entire thing. Mia and Aden are quick to take off their shoes and jump into the thing, with Gabe zipping up the door to ensure maximum safety.

“Everything is all set,” Gabe says with a wide grin. “We just need your signature.”

“ _MAMA THIS IS SO COOL!”_

_“LOOK HOW HIGH WE CAN JUMP!”_

Lexa can’t help but smile. Her kids are jumping for joy at the moment and nothing beats a sight like this. She signs the papers Gabe gives her and is saying goodbye to the guys just a couple of minutes later.

When she returns to the backyard, Mia and Aden are still jumping their little hearts out. Lexa takes out her phone and records them for a minute, sending the video right to Anya. She’s quick put away her phone and join her kids in the trampoline herself. It’s been so long since she’s been on one and her inner child is definitely brought out in the moment.

The time absolutely flies by while Lexa’s on the trampoline with the kids. Aden is flipping like a natural, trying to teach Mia in the process (but failing). After probably an hour on the thing, the kids still have plenty of energy to keep going while Lexa takes a break. She checks her phone for the notifications and couple of emails she’s gotten in the past hour.

It’s now that she also gets a call from Clarke. Lexa answers, “Hello?”

“ _Hi Lexa.”_

“Ava,” Lexa smiles. “Hi, how are you?”

“ _I’m good. How are you?”_

“I’m good too. Is everything okay?” she asks. It’s not that Lexa doesn’t want to talk to Ava, she just wants to make sure she isn’t calling because something is wrong.

“ _Oh yeah, everything is okay,”_ Ava reassures. “ _I’m just bored.”_

Lexa laughs a little. “Aren’t you at your cousin’s birthday?”

Ava hums in response and goes on to explain what she’s done so far. There’s a jumping castle, they’ve eaten lunch and played a couple of games. Lexa laughs again when Ava says that the cake wasn’t even that nice and that’s just thrown the whole party off.

“Well, why don’t we bake a cake when you come over tomorrow?” Lexa says. “I promise it’ll be very good.”

“ _YAY!”_

“Where’s your mum?” Lexa asks.

“ _She’s talking to Grandma and Uncle Cameron. I was meant to put her phone in her bag but I wanted to talk to you.”_

Lexa swaps hands in holding the phone, “Really?”

“ _Yep,”_ Ava replies. “ _I haven’t see you in two days. I miss you.”_

Lexa feels a flutter in her heart and sighs contently. “I miss you too, but we get to spend the whole day together tomorrow.”

“ _I’m excited to give you your present!”_ Ava exclaims.

“Do I get a hint to what it is?”

“ _Ah-ah_ ,” Ava replies, “ _It’s a surprise for you, Mia and Aden.”_

“Well I’m excited to give you your present too.”

“ _Can I know what it is?”_

Lexa laughs. “I’ll only tell you if you tell me.”

There’s a moment of silence through the phone and Lexa can’t help but grin to herself as she can only picture Ava thinking away. “ _Nope,”_ Ava eventually says, “ _I can wait till tomorrow.”_

“You want to hear something cool?”

“ _Yeah?”_

Lexa gives Aden a thumbs-up after seeing him successfully do a front flip on the trampoline. “Aunt Anya got the twins a trampoline for Christmas.”

“ _YOU HAVE A TRAMPOLINE?”_

Lexa nods and smiles. “We do, Mia and Aden are jumping on it right now.”

“ _Cooooooooool,”_ Ava coos, “ _Can I play on it tomorrow?”_

“Of course.”

“ _Ah that’s so cool, I love trampolines.”_ Ava pauses as she stops to talk to someone else for a second. “ _You want to know something cool too?”_ she asks.

“What?”

“ _Mum’s password for her phone is 5-3-9-2. Do you know what that spells?”_

Lexa shakes her head. “No, what does it spell?”

“ _It spells_ Lexa.”

Lexa bites her bottom lip, “It does too.”

“ _Oh-ohh,”_ Ava whispers.

“What it is?” Lexa asks. “Everything okay?”

“ _Hi mum.”_

Lexa listens as it seems like Clarke’s now with Ava.

              “ _I thought you were putting my phone back in bag?”_

_“I was…”_

_“Who are you talking to?”_

_“Lexa.”_

Lexa clears her throat as she waits to join the conversation as well. “Hey,” she greets as she hears Clarke on the other end of the call.

“ _Head inside, love. They’re going to play pass the parcel any second,”_ Clarke tells Ava before returning to the phone call. “ _So what were you guys talking about?”_

“About how your passcode spells my name,” Lexa teases.

“ _It does not…”_ Clarke defends weakly. “ _It spells…”_

_“_ It spells my name.”

Clarke lets out a sigh. “ _Okay fine, it spells your name. I can’t believe Ava sold me out like that.”_

_“_ So, how’s the party?” Lexa asks. “Ava said that the cake wasn’t that nice and that’s why she’s now bored.”

Clarke laughs. “ _Yeah, it wasn’t the best but the party is good, just catching up with family I haven’t seen in a while. How was work? And the dentist?”_

“Work was the same and the dentist was good,” Lexa replies, “The waiting area had an aquarium just like in Finding Nemo so the twins were pretty excited about that.”

“ _Is that them in the background?”_

Lexa looks back up the trampoline to see Mia chasing her brother around in circles. “Yeah,” she laughs. “Anya brought them a trampoline for Christmas and they’ve been on it since it’s been set up.”

“ _A trampoline?”_

Lexa hums in response. “I told Ava just before and she’s pretty excited about it.”

“ _Oh I bet. She loves them.”_ Clarke pauses, the smile evident on her voice. “ _I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”_

“Me too,” Lexa replies.

“ _And Anya’s still picking up Teddy?”_

“Yeah.” Lexa goes to explain that while they’re out at the carnival, Anya will be picking up Teddy from the shelter and bringing him by the house. She’s spent the past two weeks slowly buying everything she needs for their new dog, hiding the boxes away in the garage.  

“ _Oh I can’t wait for them to see it. I miss the little guy already. So we’ll be by at around 10?”_

Lexa smiles. “That sounds good. We’ll go to the Christmas Carnival then come back to my place and just spend some time together?”

“ _Sounds perfect.”_

_“_ Will you and Ava stay over tomorrow?” Lexa asks. “We’re leaving for the farm just before lunch.”

“ _I’ll pack an overnight bag.”_ Clarke pauses to once again talk to someone else the party for a moment. “ _Hey, got to go.”_

_“_ Have fun.”

“ _I love you.”_

“I love you too,” Lexa smiles.

 

* * *

 

Everything about Christmas excites Clarke; the lights, the decorations, the festivities, the food. She loves the spirit the holiday brings, that it’s a time to enjoy the year coming to an end and for her at least, it’s a time she can sit back and relax since she’s not working.

Clarke doesn’t have the biggest family, so it’s also an important time to spend with the ones she loves. This year, those loved ones extend to Lexa, Mia and Aden. She’s been looking forward to their Christmas day since they planned it. While she loves the time she spends with Lexa and the twins, there’s something about today that’s exciting her to the core.

Right now she’s on her way to Lexa’s. Ava is almost jumping out of the back seat with how excited she is for their day together. It’s been a couple of days since they’ve seen the Woods family and they both miss them terribly.

For Clarke, Lexa fills in this part of her life that she never knew she needed. Before they started dating, even before she met Lexa, Clarke wasn’t actively looking to be in a relationship. She was open to dating but she was perfectly fine, content, and happy with how her life was. Then along came Lexa.

With what she knows about dating and the stories she’s heard, Clarke is grateful that things haven’t been complicated between them. It could have easily been a different story. Some might think that their story is too good to be true, but Clarke’s never felt a love like this before. It’s overwhelming sometimes, but it’s a good type of overwhelming. It’s honestly one of the best feelings knowing that the person she loves, loves her right back.

The moment Clarke stops the car in Lexa’s driveway, Ava is up and asking if she can get out. Clarke gives her daughter a quick nod, watching as Ava runs up to the door and gives a couple of loud knocks. In the meantime she takes out her overnight bag and the presents they have for Lexa and the twins.

As she’s walking towards the door, Lexa is kneeling down and hugging Ava. It’s a sight she’s never going to get sick of. “Hey,” Clarke greets.

Ava pulls away from the hug and runs off inside before Lexa is standing up. “Hey,” Lexa smiles. She steps forward, leaning in for a quick and tender kiss. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” Clarke whispers before kissing Lexa again.

“ _CLARRRRRRRRKE!”_

Clarke smiles and the kiss ends as she watches Mia and Aden run up towards her. For small kids, they sure are strong and the hug that she finds herself in actually takes her back a couple of steps. It only takes a moment for her to regain her footing, bending down so that she can hug the twins properly.

Lexa picks up the duffel bag and the presents Clarke’s dropped, prompting everyone to head inside. The kids instantly go for the presents and placing them under the tree, all eagerly trying to guess what they got each other.

“Mia, Aden, grab your shoes and coat,” Lexa says, “We’re going in a minute.”

“Can I put this in your room?” Clarke asks, moving to grab her duffel from Lexa.

Lexa nods. She takes Clarke’s hand and guides them towards the bedroom. Once they’re there, Clarke finds herself crashing her lips against Lexa’s again. It’s nothing like the kiss they shared just moments before. This one is full of passion and desire, one that makes Clarke absolutely weak in the knees.

“I’ve really missed you,” Clarke smirks.

Lexa ghosts their lips over each other for a moment and Clarke feels the small smile in the space between them. “We should get going,” Lexa whispers, “More kissing later.”

Clarke lets out a small chuckle. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

 

* * *

 

The Christmas carnival is a good forty-minute drive away. It is an annual event but this is the first time Clarke will be going. She’s quite excited for it though. Everyone she’s talked to swears that it’s a great event and from what she’s seen through social media it’s going to be hard _not_ to enjoy.

The moment they walk through the entrance they are hit with the Christmas spirit. Workers dressed as elves hand out show bags and maps, Christmas music plays through the stereos, there’s tinsel and fake snow and everything about the area practically screams the holiday season. The kids wide-eyed and in awe almost immediately, excited about almost everything they see.

Lexa grabs a map and a showbag and they start to make their way down the busy street. There’s food carts and drink stalls and people selling an array of other showbags. Lexa holds up the map, “So I say we just follow the main path,” she says as she points around the paper, “There’s a couple of smaller off streets we can visit along the way.”

“IS THAT AN ICERINK?” Aden asks excitedly.

Lexa nods. “We’ll stop there when we get to it.”

“YAY!”

Clarke smiles at the small exchange, stepping forward to hold onto Mia and Ava’s hands as they continue on. They stop by a stall, picking up some coffee, hot chocolate and pastries for them to share. They spend the next twenty minutes around a table and talking about what they want to see and do during the day.

More often than not Clarke finds herself smiling from ear-to-ear. They might just be sitting around and doing nothing but she loves it. She loves spending whatever time she can get with Lexa and the kids and she hopes that it’s something she’ll have for a very long time.

\--

Clarke and Lexa stand just outside the gates, watching the kids ride around the carrousel. All three of their sit on reindeers that go up and down as they go around in circles. Clarke gets some photos the first couple of times the kids come past the before putting her phone back in her bag.

“Anya’s got Teddy,” Lexa says as she types on her phone. “She said that we did a good job with picking him.” She then shows the photo Anya’s just sent of her and the dog.

Clarke laughs a little, “That’s a cute photo.”

“Don’t let Anya hear you say that.”

“Oh I won’t,” Clarke laughs again. “You know what else is cute?”

Lexa raises an eyebrow, “If you say what I think you’re going to say, you’re the cheesiest person I know.”

Clarke leans in and gives Lexa a quick kiss, “You,” she grins.

“Sooo cheesy,” Lexa teases as she rolls her eyes.

 

* * *

 

Clarke walks up to Lexa and the kids after finishing up in the bathroom. They’re currently talking to a couple of strangers, and while she can’t hear the conversation they seem to be talking about the kids. It brings a smile to her face because while she sees Ava, Mia, Aden and Lexa, she also sees her family. It’s been about a couple of months since they’ve been together and Clarke knows that she’s never been so sure of her feelings for Lexa and the twins.

As she gets closer to the group, the older woman turns towards her. “Ah, and you must be the girlfriend,” she says.

The smile of Clarke’s face cannot be contained.

“I was just telling your girlfriend how cute your kids were,” the woman continues, “Young Aden here reminds me of my grandson.”

“Your grandson must be the cutie,” Clarke smiles.

“He sure is.” The older woman turns back towards Lexa and the kids, giving them a final goodbye before she’s excusing herself to find her family.

“She was lovely,” Mia says, “Don’t you think mama?”

Lexa nods. “She sure was.”

The five of them continue through the carnival. The kids walk in front of them as Clarke reaches for Lexa’s hand, bringing it up to her lips and placing a soft kiss on them. “Girlfriend,” she whispers, “I like the sounds of that.”

“You’re my girlfriend,” Lexa smiles. “I like the sound of that too.” She stops for just a moment to place a quick kiss on Clarke’s cheek.

“Say it again.”

Lexa raises an eyebrow, “What?”

“That I’m your girlfriend.”

Lexa lets out a small chuckle. “You, Clarke Griffin, are my girlfriend.”

“I love you,” Clarke whispers.

“I love you too.”

 

* * *

 

Clarke pulls her phone out of her back pocket and gets Lexa and the kids to gather themselves around her side of the table. She swipes open the camera, holds up the phone and manoeuvres herself so that they’re in the shot. “Say cheese!” she yells.

Lexa huddles a little closer to Clarke, the kids squish themselves in and they’re all yelling “cheese!” back as Clarke takes a few photos.

 

* * *

 

There is something truly magical about watching Lexa with the kids. While it isn’t a new sight for Clarke, it’s a sight that always, _always,_ warms her heart. They’ve all made their way into the ice rink and she’s just a few strides behind them. Aden’s picked up on it quite easily whereas Mia and Ava are struggling just slightly. But Lexa is there, holding onto both their hands and guiding them securely.

 “Ah look at you guys,” Clarke smiles as she catches up to them, “Such naturals.”

“We’re skating!” Ava gleams.

“You are sweetie!”

Lexa looks around the rink, “Have you seen Aden?”

Clarke nods and motions her head towards the other end of the rink. “He’s doing just fine,” she replies. She reaches for Mia’s hand, prompting Lexa to let go so she can help the girls stay on their feet.

They stride around a couple of laps, catching up to Aden and then having him go off again. It’s all smiles and laughter at this point as they help pull each other around the ice. The girls topple over a fair few times but they seem to be enjoying themselves too much to care.

When they’re done in the ice rink it’s just past 3pm and they decide it’s time to call it a day. They’ve got a home cooked meal planned for dinner and they should start heading back to prepare for that. After stopping by the bathroom once more, they’re all heading back to the car and back towards Lexa’s home.

 

Clarke looks back in the rear-view mirror to see the kids all fast asleep. They’re about five minutes away from home at this point and she turns to Lexa, offering a small smile before asking about Teddy.

“I just texted Anya saying that we’ll be there soon,” Lexa replies, “She’ll put him in the laundry and we can get the twins to find him once we’re home.”

“I can’t wait to see the look on their faces.”

“Me too,” Lexa replies.

Clarke smiles again and turns around another corner. “I’m going to miss you and the twins.”

“We’re only gone a couple of days, Clarke.”

“A couple of days too long,” Clarke pouts.

Lexa laughs a little. “I will miss you too.”

 

When they reach the house, the kids stir themselves awake one by one. At this point the kids look a little dazed and confused as they walk up to the front door. The moment Lexa opens the front door they’re all met with a sight that surprises them. Anya is running down the hallway, yelling various things as she chases Teddy.

The kids suddenly become super alert, pushing their way through the front door.

_“THERE’S A DOG IN THE HOUSE!”_

“Oh,” Clarke whispers, “There goes the surprise.”

Lexa steps inside the house, prompting Clarke to do the same before locking the door. “You had one job, Anya.”

Anya comes back around with Teddy in her arms. She placed the dog on the ground and the kids surround him in an instant. “I had many jobs,” Anya argues, “Teddy has peed ALL over your house.”

“His name is Teddy?!” Aden asks as he pats the dog.

Lexa nods. “Yes,” she replies.

Mia perks her head up. “Did you get a dog Aunt Anya?” Anya shakes her head. “Then who’s dog is it?”

“Ask your mama,” Anya smiles.

The kids all look to Lexa curiously. Lexa kneels down to their level, “Merry Christmas,” she whispers.

“Teddy is ours?!” Aden asks.

“He is.”

Aden is quick to jump into his mother’s arms, followed by Mia.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” the twins chant.

Lexa opens up her arms, “Come on Ava, get in here.”

Ava joins in the group hug and so does Teddy, causing them to lose their footing momentarily. They sit on the ground, entertaining Teddy as he gets excited over the new people he’s meeting.

Clarke subtlety takes a few photos before Lexa is standing up from the group. They make their way towards the kitchen as the kids remain with the dog. Anya just tells them that everything went smoothly when she picked up the dog and she gives Lexa his folder with important information. Soon she’s saying goodbye to the kids and off for the night.

“Shall we get started on dinner?” Clarke asks as Lexa comes back into the kitchen.

Lexa nods and just like that the two of them fall into a familiar routine around the kitchen. For dinner they’re keeping it simple with some spaghetti and garlic bread. They both work around each other with such ease, even finding the time to steal a couple of kisses in between their cooking.

In the meantime, the kids occupy themselves with Teddy. Lexa pulls out his bed, a couple of toys and puts out food for him too. So far he’s very energetic and excited about the new faces, but he seems to be settling in just fine.

It’s not long before Clarke finds herself rushing the kids to wash their hands and to take a seat around the table. There’s a big bowl of spaghetti in the middle, a plate of garlic bread and Lexa is pulling out some drinks for them.

The conversation during dinner is pretty much the kids teasing each other about the gifts under the Christmas tree. The plan is that after dinner they’re going to sit around the living room and open each other’s gifts since they won’t see each other till after Christmas. Clarke is especially excited about the gift she’s gotten the twins (mainly because a big part of her wants to play it as well).

 

About an hour later they’re done with dinner and settling in the living room. At this point Clarke falls right into the couch with a soft thud. The day is finally catching up to her but she wouldn’t have it any other way. This is what Christmas is about for her, spending time with the ones she loves most. At this point she doesn’t think that anything could beat the sight of Lexa, Mia, Aden and Ava all together surrounding the Christmas tree.

Lexa turns the Christmas tree lights on and Aden dims down the main living room lights. The atmosphere in the room completely settles and Clarke feels at home. Aden and Mia then come up to her holding a gift in their hands. “This one is for you, Clarke,” Aden says. “Merry Christmas.”

Instead of taking the gift first, Clarke pulls them both in for a tight hug. She whispers her thank you’s and eventually lets them go. “Do I open it now?” Clarke asks.

Mia nods excitedly. “Aden and I made it all by ourselves.”

Clarke smiles and starts to rip apart the wrapping paper. The gift isn’t too heavy and about the size of half an A4 paper. It’s not smooth either, with Clarke feeling various lumps and bumps just under the gift wrap. When she sees what’s inside, her heart melts just a little. It’s a handmade photo frame with a picture of the five of them in the centre of it.

“Oh my god,” Clarke whispers, “This is beautiful.” She runs her fingers along the wooden edges. There’s little decorative bits around the frame; stars, hearts, birds and flowers. Across the top of the frame there are three smaller wooden plaques with the kids’ names on it and along the bottom there’s another two wooden plaques with her and Lexa’s name on it.

“Thank you. I love it,” Clarke says.

“Really?” Aden asks.

Clarke nods without hesitation and pulls the twins in for another hug. During this time she feels Lexa come sit beside her and sees Ava brining a gift from the tree.

“Your turn Lexa,” Ava announces as she passes the box along to Lexa.

Clarke puts the frame on the coffee table for the time being and they focus her attention to Lexa. Clarke and Ava both decorated and personalised some mugs for Lexa and the twins. They painted Lexa, Mia and Aden’s names onto mugs and painted various things on them before having them set.

The grin on Lexa’s face when she sees the gift is something Clarke isn’t ever going to forget.

“Are these the IKEA mugs you convinced me not to by when we first met?” Lexa laughs.

Clarke shrugs playfully.

“I love it,” Lexa replies. She turns to Ava, “Thank you.”

“Merry Christmas Lexa!” Ava jumps into Lexa’s arms and they share a warm hug.

The gift giving continues. Ava gets purple headphones and a pair of white Adidas sneakers. Aden gets a jersey with “WOODS” on the back of it and black baseball cap. Mia gifts involves a small easel and a few art supplies.

The gift Clarke is excited about the most is the game she’s also gotten the twins. When they open the _Pie Face Showdown_ game they are ecstatic. Immediately Aden is running towards the kitchen to grab the whip cream so they can play. Clarke saw a video of some kids playing it a couple of weeks ago and just knew she had to have it.

They pull the game out of the box and Clarke gets Mia and Aden to situate their faces on the levels first. She takes the whip cream and puts some on the hand. “So you guys know how to play, right?”

Aden and Mia nod with a quick grin. During this time Lexa’s also taken out her phone and has started recording the moment. Once the cream is on the hand, the twins get ready to press their respective buttons.

“Ready?” Clarke asks.

_“Ready!”_

“GO!”

Aden and Mia start to furiously tap at their buttons in an attempt to move the cream hand away from their faces. It goes back and forth for a while until ultimately Mia takes the lead and the hand is hitting Aden right in the face.

“AWWWWW,” Aden yells.

Everyone falls into a fit of laughter as Aden cleans off the whip cream from his face (some with a tissue and some just by eating it). The kids play another couple of rounds with each other, all of them eventually getting hit with the whip cream. And of course the kids gets Clarke and Lexa to play as well.

“Ready to lose?” Clarke teases as they take their positions.

Lexa shakes her head confidently and returns to look at Aden who’s about the give them the go ahead. When Aden yells “GO!” Clarke starts to furiously tap at her button. But it’s not even five seconds later that the cream is coming up and hitting her in the face.

“How did that even happen?” Clarke complains, wiping the cream from her face.

Lexa laughs, “You’re just not quick enough.”

“I hate you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lexa teases.

 

* * *

 

By 11pm Lexa is putting the kids to bed. She’s tucking in Aden while Clarke tucks in the girls in the other room. The day has been everything she had hoped it would be and the kids seem to have really enjoyed themselves to. Of course moving to Arkadia meant having a new home, but Lexa would have never expected to find home with new people as well.

She kisses the top of Aden’s head before stepping out of the room. Just as she does, Clarke is coming by and closing the lights behind her as well. They walk silently into Lexa’s room and start getting ready for bed. Not much is said during this time, but occasionally Lexa catches Clarke starring and can’t help the butterflies that she feels.

Lexa is done first and sits at the edge of the bed, waiting for Clarke to come out of the bathroom. It’s not long before the door opens up Clarke’s walking out.

“Hey,” Clarke smiles.

Lexa stands up and moves to wrap her around Clarke. “Hey.” They lean in and share a tender kiss, their lips moving slowly as they hold each other. “Today was perfect.”

“It was.”

“I know we said we wouldn’t get each other anything for Christmas…” Lexa trails off.

“Lexa…”

Lexa shakes her head. “Just wait till you see it,” she says as she leans in a little closer. Their lips are just hovering over each other’s at this point, “Please.”

“Mmm, okay.”

Lexa peels herself away from Clarke and pulls her towards the wardrobe. With a quick breath she opens the door and pulls out a draw to reveal that they’re empty.

“Lex…” Clarke whispers.

“This space is yours,” Lexa reveals, “If you want it. You spend a lot of time here and having to bring clothes back and forth has got to get a little tiring so I thought–”  She gets cut off as Clarke’s crashes their lips together.

Just moments later, Lexa finds herself with her back on her mattress and Clarke straddling her hips. Their kisses become a little more heated, a little more passionate as everything around them picks up. Lexa slips her hands under Clarke’s shirt, trailing one of her hand towards Clarke’s breast.

Clarke moans in response and breaks away from the kiss for just a moment. But before she can say anything, Lexa is flipping them over and reversing their positions. But she doesn’t return to kissing Clarke, instead hopping off the bed and making her way towards the door.

“What are you doing?” Clarke asks, with an obvious pout.

Lexa locks the door and turns back around, grinning.

“Oh.”

With a few quick strides, Lexa is back to straddling Clarke. At this point they’re both sitting up and just holding each other. Lexa looks into the blue eyes before her and falls in deeper (not that she thought it was possible). This is not a feeling she thought she’d ever have again and now she can’t imagine her life without it.

Lexa cradles either side of Clarke’s face, “I love you,” she whispers, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Clarke replies.

 

* * *

 

Christmas passes relatively quickly for Lexa. The time on the farm with her family is nothing short of amazing and the kids have an absolute blast. It was basically three days of food, presents and games. Of course her parents spoiled the twins with a ridiculous amount of gifts but it’s not like she can complain.

Now it’s New Years Eve and Lexa has just arrived at the lake house they have for the next couple of days. She’s driven up with Anya and the twins and it seems like she’s the last to arrive with everyone’s cars occupying the front of the house.

They don’t even finish unloading the car when the front door swings open and Lincoln and Bellamy are coming out to give a hand. There’s the general greetings and idle chat as they make their way towards the house. It’s a beautiful house and Lexa is already in awe.  It’s a two-story olden cabin that sits on the edge of the lake. There are pine trees to the left and right and she just feels completely immersed in the place.

The inside of the house takes Lexa back a few steps. Despite the olden design, it’s definitely been remodelled with the latest décor. It’s spacious with floor to ground glass windows, rustic ornaments decorate the room and it smells of fresh pine.

“Anya you’re with Raven. Upstairs, second room on the left,” Lincoln says. “And Lex, you’re with Clarke… the room…”

“–Last room on the right,” Bellamy finishes.

Lexa smiles. “Thanks guys. Is she up there now?”

Bellamy nods, “Yeah, she went up to take a shower about fifteen minutes ago.”

The guys help with taking the bag upstairs then excuse themselves to start on dinner. The twins are quick to join them after hearing that the other kids are by the lake with Raven and Gina. And Lexa waits in her bedroom in the meantime. While she did just see Clarke the day before, she can’t help but want to wait. She doesn’t have to wait long though. The moment Clarke walks through the door, Lexa finds herself being almost tackled onto the bed and buried in a series of sloppy kisses.

“Clarke!” Lexa yelps, “You are such a child.”

Clarke chuckles and adjusts herself so that she’s straddling Lexa’s hips properly. She leans in slowly and smiles, closing the distance between them in a soft kiss. Lexa’s hands run up and down the expanse of Clarke’s back.

“Hi,” Lexa whispers.

“Hi.” Clarke hops off Lexa and the two of them sit properly on the bed. “How was the drive up?”

Lexa hums a little, “It was good. Anya’s choice in music is still questionable though.”

“ _Your_ choice in music is questionable,” Clarke argues.

Lexa rather dramatically places her hand over her heart and gets up off the bed. “Okay then, if that’s what you truly think,” she replies before making her way to the door.

But Clarke is quick on her feet and is back in Lexa’s space in just a second. She grabs Lexa by the waist, flips her around and pulls her in for a searing kiss. Lexa is quick to reciprocate it, falling right into the embrace.

“I love your questionable taste in music,” Clarke teases.

Lexa chuckles. “Why do I like you so much?”

“I don’t know,” Clarke laughs, “But I’m glad you do.”

“I’m glad too.”

They share another quick kiss before Clarke asks if Lexa’s got anymore bags or if she needs to help to get anything else out of the car. But with Bellamy and Lincoln’s assistance earlier, everything they brought had already been brought in.

“The twins?” Clarke asks.

“Outside with the others.”

Clarke takes Lexa’s hand, “Let’s go see if they need help with dinner.”

Lexa nods and they make their way downstairs. Once there Lexa finds her kids just out on the patio with their Aunt Anya. Clarke makes her way out to greet them all and the sight still gives Lexa butterflies. Seeing Clarke with the twins is something she’s going to hold on to for a very long time.

Dinner prep gets underway and Lexa helps out in the kitchen. She greets everyone else during this time as well and they talk about what they’re going to do for the next couple of days. Of course tonight is all about welcoming the new year. While the kids probably won’t make it to midnight, they are still pretty excited about the night in general.

As for Lexa she’s excited too. This year couldn’t have ended on a better note for her. Moving to Arkadia was the biggest thing that happened during the year and it was definitely one of the things that worried her the most. But everything went so much better than expected.

While the twins are in another room Lexa also brings up the idea of throwing them a surprise birthday party in two weeks to the group. Everyone is immediately all for it, even pitching theme ideas and suggestions on what they could do throughout the day. Lexa reassures them that they’ll have plenty of time to plan it later, but she just wants to make sure everyone knows about it for the time being.

 

Dinner happens outside on the patio. The table is on the smaller side but they manage to all squeeze themselves around it nonetheless. It’s a beautiful, calm night. The moon is slowly rising up as it reflects against the lake and the breeze brings the scent of the pine across their backyard.

Once everyone is done, they clear the table and resettle back outside. Some sit around the table, others occupy the couches towards the end of the patio. Right not it’s all about waiting to countdown to the new year. It’s just approaching 9pm and the kids are all eager to see some of the early fireworks.

“How long now?” Ava asks the group.

“Ten minutes,” Lincoln asks. He points out towards the lake, “The neighbours said you can usually see two different sets of early fireworks.”

Ava throws her hands up in the air, “YAAAY–” Her celebrations are cut early as she ends with a little yawn. 

Lexa smiles and pulls Ava so that she’s sitting on her lap. “Tired, sweetie?” she asks.

Ava nods and yawns again.

“All you have to do is wait ten minutes.”

Ava turns towards the table where the twins are playing Uno with Raven. “Mia! Aden!” she yells, “Ten minutes until the fireworks!”

Aden gives a quick thumbs up and Mia grins in excitement. Ava remains on Lexa’s lap for the time being and they have simple chat about what they did over Christmas. If it is possible, Lexa feels her heart smiling as Ava does everything she can to keep herself up.

Clarke leans her head over onto Lexa’s shoulder, “Someone’s finally coming down from that sugar high,” she teases.

Ava smiles with her eyes closed. “It was worth it.”

Lexa laughs and she cuddles Ava a little closer. “I bet it was. Hey, why don’t you go play a game of Uno? It’ll keep you awake until the fireworks.”

“Okay,” Ava yawns again. “Love you Lexa.”

“Love you, too.” Ava runs off to join the others around the table. Lexa returns her focus back to Clarke, who’s giving her a weird glare. “What?”

“Ava didn’t say that she loved _me._ I’m sitting right here!”

Lexa chuckles. “You are still a child.”

“I’m her mother,” Clarke argues.

Lexa leans in and kisses Clarke on the cheek, “Maybe she just loves me more.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Lexa chuckles again, “I promise I won’t let her forget you,” she teases.

The next couple of minutes passes with a breeze. The kids end up playing a round of Uno and Lexa watches Clarke scroll aimlessly through her Facebook feed. Occasionally a cute video of a kid comes up or of food that looks too good to be true and they make plans to go those restaurants in the new year.

When it approaches 9pm everyone gathers around the patio in anticipation for the early fireworks. Most of the kids are rubbing their eyes and struggle to keep awake. It’s been a long day for them but they are pretty determined to stay up that bit longer. Lexa’s got Aden on her lap, Mia sits with Anya and Clarke holds onto Ava.

The first set of fireworks burst bright red and the kids run up towards the end of the patio. They are suddenly wide awake, leaning against the railing and in complete awe of the colours in the sky.

“ _Look at that one!”_

_“Aw wow!”_

_“WOOOOOW!”_

_“That one was so cool!”_

Lexa watches the kids more than she watches the fireworks. It’s a sight that makes her heart positively ache. They point, stare and scream with excitement. There’s jumping and Lincoln plugs in his phone into the stereo. A small dance parties ensues with Teddy waking up from his nap and joining in on the fun.

 

The kids manage to stay up till 10pm. This time they pull the mattresses from the bunk beds and make a blanket fort on the floor of their bedroom. The kids say goodnight to everyone before knocking out quite quickly, spreading themselves across the floor.

Lexa gives Mia one last kiss before leaving the room and closing the door. She makes her way through to the kitchen where Anya and Raven are coming up with a new drink concoction (which frankly is quite scary given past experiences). She bypasses them quickly and makes her way back out to Clarke, who is still outside on the patio.

When Clarke sees her, she’s up from her seat and taking Lexa by the hand. “Want to sit by the lake with me?”

“Do I have a choice?” Lexa teases.

Clarke mocks being offended but pulls Lexa down towards the lake anyways. It’s a short walk to the boardwalk and they take a seat with their feet hanging down towards the water.

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” Clarke whispers, leaning her head on Lexa’s shoulder.

Lexa hums in response. She turns her head the kisses the top of Clarke’s head, “So did you fulfil this year’s new year resolution?”

“I did,” Clarke replies, “Kind of. It was to show Ava more of the world.”

“Like travelling?”

Clarke lifts her head up and nods. “We took that trip to Hawaii early in the middle of the year and we took a road trip down the west coast the holiday before that.” She pauses and looks up to the green fireworks that burst just above them. “Ava wants to go to south-east Asia soon and I have to say that it sounds like a pretty good idea.”

“It does, I’ve always wanted to go as well.”

Clarke turns towards Lexa and leans in just so that they’re a breath a part. “Maybe we can go,” she whispers, “Together… You, me, the kids…”

Lexa’s heart skips a beat. “That sounds great,” she smiles.

Clarke closes the distance between them in a soft, short kiss. “So what about you? What was your new year’s resolution for this year?”

Lexa takes Clarke’s hand and offers a small smile. “It was to find a home,” she answers. “After Costia, Polis did not feel like home. It was just a place to live, to eat, to work. But then we moved to Arkadia and...”

“And you found a home…” Clarke finishes with a small smile.

Lexa nods. “I did, however I didn’t find a home in Arkadia.”

“No?”

“No,” Lexa repeats. She leans in again, “I found a home with _you_. With Ava.”

It’s not clear who kisses who next, but it doesn’t matter. They move impossibly closer to each other and hold each other close as they share this moment.

“I love you, Clarke,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke smiles. “I love you too.”

They spend the remainder of the night on the boardwalk. It’s simple and easy talk, mostly about what their 2017 resolutions can be. They don’t settle on anything in particular, but Lexa knows that she just wants the year to be good for herself, Clarke, Mia, Aden and Ava.

The countdown to midnight starts and they don’t move from their spot. Everyone else has paired off and have found their own space around the house.

“As cheesy as this sounds,” Lexa starts, “I’m really happy we get to start the new year together.”

“Me too.”

Lexa kisses Clarke’s cheek, lingering for a moment longer than usual. “You make me so happy.”

Instead of a response, Clarke finds Lexa’s lips for another passionate kiss. The only thing that draws them back to the moment is Lincoln shouting down from twenty behind them. They break away with a small smile and a slight laugh, scooting closer with Clarke throwing her arm around Lexa’s shoulder.

They all begin to countdown together.

“ _Ten!”_

_“Nine!”_

_“Eight!”_

_“Seven!”_

_“Six!”_

_“Five!”_

_“Four!”_

Lexa and Clarke both begin to lean in again.

_“Three!”_

_“Two!”_

_“One!”_

_“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i probably should have asked this earlier but if anyone would like to become a beta for the remainder of this story, leave me a comment! i would love to have an extra set of eyes read through chapters before i post them :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the twins get a surprise birthday party, valentines day for clarke and lexa, and clarke and ava's first visit to the flower farm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you're well, happy reading xx

January 14th marks the twins 8th birthday and Lexa is making it a big one this year. The previous year they didn’t do much because she was extremely busy with work but this year, this year is all about her kids. She’s spent the last two weeks planning a surprise birthday party for them and everything has come together pretty well.

The Saturday morning starts off like any other. Lexa is up by 7am and starts to make Mia and Aden’s favourite breakfast; blueberry pancakes and crispy bacon. While she does that, she runs through a mental list of the things she has to do today. The kids think that she’s going to be working the morning shift at the florist, so they will be spending some with Anya. But of course, that’s just so Lexa can get everything set up for the party.

Once the kids are up and out, the two things Lexa needs to do is get the house ready and prep food for the party, and fortunately everyone’s offered to come by before the party starts to help set everything up.

Lexa gets breakfast done before either of the twins wake up. She quietly strolls into Aden’s room first, kneeling down beside the bed.

“Hey buddy,” she whispers, running her fingers through his hair.

Aden stirs slightly, mumbling something incoherently under his breath.

“Guess who’s eight today,” she smiles.

Aden’s eyes shot right open. “It’s my birthday today.”

Before Lexa can respond, there’s shouting from the hallways.

“ _ADEN!”_ Mia screams. “ _WE’RE FINALLY EIGHT YEARS OLD!”_

Lexa chuckles slightly and turns around to see Mia running through the door. She immediately opens her arms, letting Mia run right into her.

“Happy birthday sweetheart,” Lexa says. She manages to pull Aden into the hug as well. “My beautiful babies are growing up so fast.”

“We aren’t babies anymore,” Mia replies. “We’re eight!”

“Eight,” Lexa smiles. “Yeah, definitely not babies anymore.”

“Do I smell blueberry pancakes?” Aden asks.

Lexa nod and let’s go of the hug. “Let’s go eat before it gets cold.”

They make their way towards the kitchen and sit around the table. The get into the food right away, with Mia drowning her pancakes in maple syrup. Mia and Aden finish their food in record time, and Lexa puts it to them being excited about the day.

“So when is Aunt Anya coming by?” Mia asks.

Lexa places down her coffee mug. “About an hour,” she replies. “I’m sorry I have to work this morning.”

“It’s okay,” Mia smiles.

“But I promise once I’m done we’ll go anywhere you like.”

“Can we call Clarke and Ava to come too?” Aden asks.

Lexa nods and ruffles his hair. “Of course we can. I’ll give them a call a little later.”

The phone suddenly rings then and Lexa sees her mum’s name pop up on the screen. It’s a quick greeting before the phone is on loud speaker and her parents are wishing Mia and Aden are very happy birthday. The kids don’t know it yet, but Gustus and Indra are actually coming to the party later as well.

The conversation between them lasts about fifteen minutes before they have to say their goodbyes. By this time Lexa’s already done with her breakfast and begins to clear the table. It isn’t long before both the twins are done too and Lexa tells them to freshen up and get changed before Anya comes by.

 

Once Lexa hears the sound of Anya’s car pulling into the driveway she’s to the front door and greeting her sister. Anya’s brought over some decorations for the party and they are quick to hide the bags before the twins come out of their rooms.

“The twins nearly ready?” Anya asks, as she steps into the house.

Lexa nods. “Mia!” she yells, “Aden! Anya’s here!”

It’s barely two seconds later that they’re both bolting out of their rooms and jumping up into Anya’s arms. Of course Anya has no problem carrying either of them as she wishes them both a happy birthday as well.

“So I have a very special morning planned for you guys,” Anya says.

Aden is the first to jump down off of Anya’s arms. “Really?” he gleams, “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” she replies. “You guys ready to go?”

Aden nods, as does Mia.

“Okay, let’s put on your shoes and go.”

The twins run off to get their shoes before returning to the front door. They sit on the floor, slip on their shoes and Lexa makes sure that they both are ready for their day out. She knows that Anya’s going to be taking them to aqua golf and laser tag for the morning. Then she’ll bring them back home once everything is done for their surprise birthday party.

“Come here,” Lexa whispers. She pulls both Mia and Aden in for a hug and kisses them on the forehead. “Happy birthday. I love you.”

“Love you too mama,” Aden replies.

Mia responds with another hug, “Love you.”

Lexa doesn’t want to let go for her kids. She hugs them both again and doesn’t miss the way her heart just positively aches. But eventually they do say their goodbyes and soon Lexa is waving goodbye as Anya drives off.

Once Anya is gone, Lexa messages Clarke to let her know that it’s all clear to come over. The response is almost instantaneous, with Clarke replying that she’ll be there within the hour.

The first order of business is to decorate the house. Most of the food for the party is quick and easy so she’ll start on those a little closer to lunch.

Lexa brings out everything for the party from the garage. There are bags and boxes that she ends up dumping on the living room floor. She planned this surprise party with the expectation that she’s going to go all out this year, and she’s going to stick by it.

She decides that she’ll decorate the backyard first. Lincoln brought over a couple extra tables and chairs the other night so that’s the first thing she makes room for. Streamers are also put up, banners and paper lanterns. A couple of times Lexa finds herself chasing Teddy around the backyard as he steals random decorative items.

Just as she finishes decorating the yard, the doorbell rings and Lexa finds Clarke, Ava and Raven at the other side of the door. “Hey,” Lexa smiles, stepping aside and letting them in. The three of them carry an abundance of helium balloons, struggling slightly to get them all inside the house in an effective manner. But once they’re inside the balloons float up to the roof.

“Hey Lexa,” Raven greets, “Bye Lexa.”

Before Lexa can respond, Raven is out the door. She raises an eyebrow and turns towards Clarke who’s just smiling.

“Raven’s got to check on something at work,” Clarke explains, “She’ll be back soon.”

“Ah,” Lexa nods. She leans in for a quick kiss before turning her attention to Ava, “You guys brought a lot of balloons.”

“I picked out the HAPPY BIRTHDAY colours,” Ava tells her.

“You did?” Lexa asks. She looks at the balloons properly and spots the thirteen balloons that spell out ‘Happy Birthday’ in a variety of colours. “They’re beautiful.”

Ava grins. “Mia and Aden are with Anya right now?”

Lexa nods, “They asked if you and mum would spend the day with us.”

“They did?”

“They did,” Lexa confirms. “So they’ll be really excited when they see you here.”

“Can I use your toilet please?”

Lexa laughs, “Of course you can.” She watches Ava run off and when she’s out of sight, Lexa finds herself being pulled into another kiss by Clarke. This one is a heated, with hands roaming bodies and moans just slipping out from their lips. Lexa hums as it comes to an end, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Clarke breathes. “I’ve missed you.”

“We saw each other two days ago.”

“Did you not miss me?”

“I missed Ava,” Lexa teases.

Clarke pouts just slightly and Lexa pulls her in for a quick kiss. “I missed you too.”

“So where can I put Mia and Aden’s gifts?” Clarke asks, pointing to the two present bags on the ground.

“You can just leave them by the piano for now,” Lexa replies.

“So what do you still need to do?”

Lexa steps into the living room. “Want to help decorate this room? I figured we can have the birthday balloons by the empty wall,” she says as she points, “And have it in the background when we cut the cake.”

“That will look good.”

“And then I was just going to start putting streamers up and blow up some extra balloons to stick around the house.”

Clarke steps forward and rummages through the decoration bags. Without saying much else the two of them begin to work together in decorating the room. Ava soon joins in as well, directing both Lexa and Clarke on how certain things should be placed. They work with ease, occasionally falling into fits of laughter at times as they banter on the colour coordination of the streamers.

Sometime later Ava asks for Clarke’s phone, plugging it into the stereo and playing music. The first song that plays is Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t stop the Feeling” and they start a small dance party. They work, they sing, they dance and eventually Ava gives up and heads out into the backyard to jump on the trampoline for a bit.

It’s not long before they seem to finish decorating the room. There is _stuff_ everywhere and Lexa knows she’ll have a big clean up job afterwards, but it’ll be more than worth it when the twins get their party.

At this point the song switches over and Lexa finds herself being pulled into the middle of the room. It takes less than a second to register what’s happening, and her hands find their way to rest of Clarke’s waist.

They start to sway to the music, to a song that Lexa doesn’t recognise. Lexa leans in so that their foreheads are resting against each other. It’s now that Clarke begins to sing along in a quiet whisper.

“ _I’ll never trying… I’ll never stop watching you as you leave.”_

_“I’ll never stop losing my breath, every time I see you looking back at me.”_

_“I’ll never stop holding your hand, I’ll never stop opening your door.”_

_“I’ll never stop choosing you babe.”_

Clarke’s voice is like no other. It might be soft singing, but it’s more than enough to send Lexa right onto cloud nine. They stay close, swaying from side to side as Clarke continues to fill the silence.

“ _You still get my heart racing…”_

“ _You still get my heart racing for you…”_

By the last chorus, Lexa is able to sing a couple of words along with Clarke. The song eventually ends and Lexa lets out a content sigh, not moving from the position that they’re in. She leans in, tracing her lips over Clarke’s, breathing everything in about the moment. Slowly she presses forward, all the while pulling Clarke closer to her. The kiss lasts longer than she intended, but the only reason it ends is because the stereo is blasting the next song, Beyoncé’s “Formation.”

“Thanks for the dance,” Clarke smiles.

Lexa laughs, “It’s not like I had much of a choice, _someone_ just pulled me into the middle of the room.”

Clarke places her hand over heart and gasps slightly. She backs away, “Fine, I see how it is.”

Lexa laughs again, because in all honesty she loves teasing the woman. But what she loves more is closing the distance between them once again and kissing Clarke, letting her know that she’s absolutely joking and that she loved the dance as well.

“So what else do we need to do?” Clarke asks

 Lexa smiles. “Balloons.”

 

* * *

 

Everything gets set up not too long after. Lexa runs through the house a couple of times to double check everything but after Clarke reassures her that it’s all done, Lexa finally slows down. The house is filled with balloons and decorations, music still continues to play through the speakers and the food is almost done.

As Lexa re-enters the kitchen, she sees Clarke handing Ava a glass of water.

“Hey there,” Lexa smiles. She kisses the top of Ava’s head and moving to stand beside Clarke. “How’s everything going in here?”

“All good,” Clarke replies, “Jelly is set, cupcakes are cooling down–”

“–Fairy bread is made!” Ava cuts in.

Lexa raises an eyebrow, “Fairy bread?” she asks. “What’s fairy bread?”

“Only the _best_ thing to ever exist,” Ava replies.

Lexa looks around the kitchen, quickly spotting a tray of what she assumes to be fairy bread on the bench. She walks over, seeing slices of bread covered in rainbow sprinkles.

“Our cousins from Australia showed us how to make them last time they were here,” Ava explains. “It’s just bread, butter and sprinkles.”

“Is it any good?” Lexa asks.

Ava nods excitedly.

“It’s basically sugar on bread,” Clarke laughs, “Of course it’s good.”

Lexa takes a slice of fairy bread and tries it for herself. Clarke is right, it is basically sugar on bread but it is quite good – definitely a welcome addition to the party food. She finishes the slice and gives her absolute approval before she begins taking the food outside. Clarke and Ava both join and lend a helping hand.

It’s also now that the guests start to come by. Lexa’s parents are the first to arrive, greeting them all with warm hugs before offering to help as well. Once everyone else comes by, Lexa will send a message to Anya to let her know that it’s time to bring the kids back home.

 

* * *

 

“Okay everyone,” Lexa whispers, “Get ready, they’re coming up into the driveway now.” She peers through the curtains and looks back to where everyone is standing. Everyone’s got party hats, whistles and poppers ready for when Mia and Aden walk through the door.

There’s three knocks at the door and Lexa moves quickly to answer it. She swings the door open and immediately a loud “SURPRISE!” carries throughout the room.

Mia and Aden jump back a little before the widest grins appear on their faces as they realise what’s happening. It’s a little chaotic after that, with the twins rushing into the house to greet their grandparents first, and then everyone else. There’s a lot of cheering and screaming, and Mia and Aden basically stare in awe at the decorations around the house.

Once it settles down a little, Lexa manages to steal a moment with her kids. Kneeling down to their level, she brings them both in for a long hug. “Happy Birthday,” she smiles. “I love you both so much.”

“We love you too mama,” Aden replies.

“Thank you for the party,” Mia says, “This is such a surprise.”

Lexa pulls back from the hug and kisses the top of both their heads. “Let’s get this party started,” she grins.

 

* * *

 

“Sprinkles on bread?” Mia asks excitedly, “This is a first!”

Lexa nods as she watches Mia place a slice onto her plate but before she can say anything Clarke comes up beside them. “It will change your life,” she laughs.

“Really?” Mia asks, her eyes wide as ever.

Clarke nods, “It certainly changed mine.”

Mia immediately walks off, screaming, “Aden! Have you tried the sprinkle bread yet?”

Lexa lets out a small laugh. She places a slice onto her own plate before turning towards Clarke, “Fairy bread changed your life, did it?”

Clarke nods and begins to lean in for a kiss, “Second to you of course.”

 

* * *

 

Lexa watches as Clarke and Raven roll themselves into the trampoline with a couple of the other kids. Octavia is immediately screaming for them to be careful, but the kids make the two very welcome.

“HELP!” Raven calls, “I’m being trampled by mini humans!”

Clarke and Raven (rather dramatically) reach out for each other, but it’s no use as the kids end up pulling them further apart.

“ _And iiiiiiiii-eeeee-iiiiiii will always looooove youuuuuuuu_ ,” Raven sings as she concedes defeat and lets the kids topple all over her.

 

* * *

  

Lexa wanders over and takes a seat next to her parents. “Hey,” she smiles.

“So Clarke seems to be getting along with the kids really well,” her dad says immediately.

“Dad…”

“I’m allowed to be curious,” he replies, “These are my grandchildren.”

Lexa lets out a small, happy sigh. She turns towards where Clarke dancing around with Mia, Aden and Ava around her. “She loves Mia and Aden.”

“We can tell,” Indra says quietly.

Lexa nods, “We love her and Ava too,” she says, her smile only growing.

“We can see that as well,” Gustus replies.

 

* * *

 

“Please tell me you didn’t spoil the twins for their birthday,” Lexa asks Anya.

Anya places her hand over her heart, “Me?” she asks, “Spoil _my_ niece and nephew?”

“Anya…”

“Come on… do you really have to ask?”

“If they grow up wanting a Mercedes for their first car, I’m blaming you,” Lexa teases.

 

* * *

 

Lexa looks around her backyard, doing a quick glance to make sure everyone is doing okay. So far it seems good. Well that is until she catches Clarke’s intense gaze from across the yard. Clarke is in the middle of a conversation between Jake, Abby, Gustus and Indra and her face is currently screaming for help. It takes everything in Lexa not to laugh and she knows she should help but… maybe she’ll enjoy this moment for just a minute longer.

 

* * *

 

In their fifth round of musical chairs, the last two standing are Aden and Ava. The two of them dance around the single chair left, quite precariously. Raven is in charge of the music and is currently looking away to make it fair.

“You got this Aden!” Lexa yells.

“Go Ava!” Clarke yells as well.

The music comes to a sudden stop and Aden claims victory by taking the seat before Ava does.

Raven comes running over, guiding Aden to stand up on the chair. She holds up one of his hands in the air, “VICTORY FOR THE BIRTHDAY BOY!”

 

* * *

 

_“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIA AND ADEN… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!”_

_“HIP HIP”_

_“HOORAY!”_

_“HIP HIP”_

_“HOORAY!”_

_“HIP HIP”_

_“HOOOOOORAY!”_

Lexa cheers along with everyone else, not really caring that her video recording is out of focus. She pockets her phone and runs over to the twins, leaning down and kissing them both on the cheek. They pose for a couple of photos, even pulling nearby guests into the shot as well.

Clarke eventually comes over, nudging Lexa in the process. “Want some help cutting the cake?”

“Yes please,” Lexa smiles. She hands over the knife and they both start to cut into the two birthday cakes.

Once everyone has a slice, they both get cake each and find some empty seats. They join in the conversation with some of the other parents at the party, discussing what they have left for the rest of the holidays.

 

* * *

 

Lexa holds open the door as the last of the kids are leaving the party. “Thank you for coming,” she says.

“Thanks for having us,” Darcy replies. “Say goodbye Violet.”

“Bye Lexa! BYE MIA AND ADEN!”

Another round of goodbyes are given and Lexa is closing the door. She wanders back inside to find Mia, Aden and Ava on the couch with Anya. Anya reads them one of the picture books that was given as a gift.

Leaving them be, Lexa continues onto the kitchen where Clarke, Raven and Octavia are arguing over which of the birthday cakes were better.

“I can’t believe we’re even disputing this,” Raven sighs, “Obviously Aden’s cake was better.”

“What’s wrong with your tastebuds, Clarke?” Octavia asks.

As Lexa approaches them, she can tell that she’s about to be pulled into the conversation. But before that happens she lifts up her hand and shakes her hand, “I’m not picking between the cakes. I picked them both. I like them both.”

“Boring,” Raven mutters.

“Come on, just pick a side,” Clarke encourages, “Pick your girlfriend’s side and say that Mia’s cake was nicer.”

Lexa rolls her eyes playfully and avoids picking. She grabs a bottle of water and makes it known that she isn’t going to be dragged into this.

“Your girlfriend is no fun,” Octavia jabs.

“I am fun,” Lexa argues. “I just liked both cakes.”

“But you must have liked one more than the other…” Raven pushes.

Lexa shakes her head and holds her ground. The discussions last for a good couple of minutes, with the four of them going back and forth and obviously not reaching a mutual agreement.

“Alright, as much as I would love to keep talking about cake, I think we have to call it a night,” Octavia announces.

“But we haven’t agreed about which cake is nicer,” Raven replies, “We can’t go without a final answer.”

“Oh I think you can,” Lexa laughs. She stands up from her chair, urging everyone else up as well. There’s a few things Octavia has to gather from around the house, and everyone else decides that it’s time to go home as well.

“Happy birthday Squid,” Raven whispers as she hugs Mia. When Aden’s in her arms she’s whispering, “Happy birthday Jam Tart.”

“ _Thanks for the presents Aunt Raven.”_

Everyone says goodbye to everyone and Lexa sees them off at the door. Anya is the last to leave, reminding Lexa about the bouquet of flowers she needs the following for day.

Once Lexa locks the doors she’s met with a sight that she will never get sick of. Clarke carries Ava and holds a sleepy Mia’s hand. The kids are drained at this point.

“I told them that they can shower in the morning,” Clarke whispers, “I hope that’s okay.”

Lexa nods. “Of course, I’ll help you get them changed.”

“Oh it’s okay, I’ve got the girls. Why don’t you get Aden?”

Lexa looks into the living room to see Aden sprawled out on the couch. She turns back to Clarke, “What do you say to some wine and cheese after?”

“I’ll see you in a bit,” Clarke smiles.

Lexa watches Clarke go off before she makes her way to Aden. Aden wakes up before Lexa even gets a chance to get to him, he’s up on his feet, eyes barely awake and stumbling towards his room. The smallest smile creeps up on Lexa’s face as she ruffles his hair.

Once Aden is changed and into bed, Lexa makes her way back out towards the kitchen to clean up the last of the dishes. It’s been a long day. But it’s also been one of the best. There is no doubt that Mia and Aden didn’t have a good time. She hasn’t seen her kids laugh and smile and just be overall _this_ happy in a long time. And that’s all she wants, she wants her kids to be happy.

A big part of that happiness is definitely due to Clarke and Ava. They have become two of the most important people into her life and they fill this space in her family, a space she didn’t even know needed to be filled. There’s been ups and downs since losing Costia, but Lexa always managed. And while she did promise that she would be open up to love again, Clarke and Ava still crept up on in the best way possible.

As she finishes the dishes she hears Clarke wandering back and settling in the living room.

“Hey Lex, do you want to watch a movie?” she calls out.

“Sounds good,” Lexa replies. “I’ll grab the wine and cheese and be there in a second.”

“Do you need any help?”

“No, I’ve got it.”

Except, Lexa doesn’t have it. It’s now that she realises that she has no wine and no cheese. But she doesn’t dwell on it for too long, instead making use of what she does have. She grabs a few things from around the kitchen and makes her way towards Clarke.

“So…” Lexa trails off, “I don’t have wine or cheese…. But I do have potato chips and juice boxes.” Clarke lets a small laugh as she places the item on the coffee table. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Clarke smiles, “Potato chips and juices boxes are perfect. Come, sit next to me.”

Lexa settles herself next to Clarke, reaching for the chips. “So, what are we watching?”

Clarke hums, quietly flicking through Netflix. “There wasn’t anything to watch the other night and I don’t think there’s been any new releases since.”

 “We can just put some music on and relax?” Lexa suggests.

Clarke turns her head to kiss the top of Lexa’s head, “That sounds good too.” She switches over to YouTube, choosing to listen to _The Hamilton Mixtape_ playlist.

Lexa leans her head on Clarke’s shoulder and lets out a content sigh, “Thanks for helping out today.”

“You threw an amazing party. Mia and Aden were over the moon the entire day.”

“They were,” Lexa nods.

“You’re an amazing mother,” Clarke mumbles into Lexa’s hair.

Lexa immediately sits up, turning to face Clarke. “You are too,” she replies immediately.

Clarke smiles. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

It takes a moment for Clarke to continue. “I feel at home with you,” she whispers, bringing her hand to caress the side of Lexa’s face.

“Clarke…”

“Wait,” Clarke breathes, “I just…” She pauses and takes another breath. “I think of you, Mia and Aden as my family. I want you to know that.”

Lexa can’t describe the mix of feelings that wash over her (though _love_ is definitely one of them). She feels exactly the same, she has for a long time now but the words seem to just catch in her throat. So she closes the distance between them for the time being. The kiss is soft, delicate, the unspoken message of ‘I love you’ exchanging through the touch of their lips.

“I love you,” Lexa breathes in the space between them. “And I feel the same. We are a family.”

“We’re a family,” Clarke repeats.

Lexa nods. “Family,” she whispers before kissing Clarke again.  

 

* * *

 

The rest of the holidays fly by for Clarke. In between spending time with Ava, Lexa, Mia and Aden and prepping for the new school year, she’s left with little free time. But it’s okay because she wouldn’t have it any other way. Things couldn’t be better in the little found family of theirs.

The school year starts of like most. It’s a little hectic and chaotic at first but eventually she finds a rhythm that fits her well. Her year 6 class is great, and with Arkadia being a fairly small school, she already knew most of the kids in her class. It’s an exciting start to the year because this is the first time she’s taught year 6, and she’s got quite the year planned for them.

Ava’s start was a little rockier than previous years. With a completely new teacher entering the school and taking her class, she was a little sceptical at first. Ava’s always had someone she was familiar with as her teacher, but it doesn’t take too long for her to settle in.

It’s now two weeks into the school year, which also happens to be Valentine’s Day. Just coincidently enough, it falls on a Friday and Clarke is absolutely excited for the weekend ahead. Tonight she’s going to be taking Lexa out to dinner. With them being both quite busy, it’s been a while since they’ve done anything for just the two of them.

Then the following day, Lexa is taking them all up to her parents’ flower farm. This is something Clarke (and Ava) have been looking forward to for quite some time. She’s seen photos and feels like she knows the place already, but this is the first time she’ll be visiting.

With ten minutes left till the bell rings, Clarke is in her room and making sure she’s got everything ready for the day. Being two weeks into the year they’ve established quite a routine and familiar bond has formed between everyone. It’s an already vastly different bond to her class the previous year.

“Come in,” Clarke greets as there’s a few knocks on the door. She looks up from the desk to see Lexa walking in with a small bouquet of flowers. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Lexa walks up to the table and greets Clarke with a chaste kiss. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” she smiles, handing over the flowers.

Clarke accepts the arrangements of sunflowers. “These are beautiful, thank you.”

“I can’t stay long, busy day,” Lexa says.

Clarke nods. “I’m excited for tonight.”

“Me too,” Lexa smiles, “I’d be more excited if I knew what we were doing.”

Clarke grins cheekily, “Not a chance I’m telling you.”

“That’s unfair.”

“That’s love,” Clarke counters playfully. “You should get going, those roses won’t sell themselves.”

Lexa hums in response and leans in for another quick kiss. “I’ll see you after school.”

 

* * *

 

When the final bell rings, Clarke stands outside her classroom and as says goodbye to her kids for the week. Like usual, some of the other parents come by and say hello and to talk about any concerns they have. But today the conversations are a lot shorter, everyone seemingly excited for the weekend.

“ _HAPPY VALENTINES DAY MISS CLARKE!”_

Clarke turns around to see a few of the kids from last year’s class approaching. They carry a few flowers (ones definitely from the school’s garden) and eventually hand them over to her with wide smiles. Of course she doesn’t ask where the flowers come from and returns the gesture by giving them all a quick hug each.

“ _Should I be worried that someone else is getting you flowers?”_

At the sounds of Lexa’s voice, Clarke grins from ear-to-ear. She turns around and like it usually does, her heart picks up a few beats. Clarke smells the flowers and grins, “Definitely worried, these are some pretty good flowers.”

“How was your day?”

“Good,” Clarke replies, “How’s the florist? Still busy?”

“So-so, but the girls in the store have it handled.”

“Speaking of flowers, the kids loved the arrangement you gave me this morning.”

“Of course they did.”

Clarke laughs, “So I’ll be by around 6?”

Lexa nods, “Any chance I can get you to tell me where we’re going now?”

Clarke shakes her head and gives a small wink. “I’ll see you later Lexa Woods,” she says before waltzing back into her classroom.

 

Clarke spends a ridiculous amount of time getting ready. It’s been so long since she’s gone all out for a date, but tonight is a special night. As cliché as it sounds, tonight is just about them and their love. While it hasn’t even been a year since they’ve been together, Clarke knows that Lexa is the one for her.

Tonight she’s wearing a new black dress she’s bought for this occasion. It’s sleeveless with lace covering the top part of her chest. She’s got her hair in loose curls, Raven’s helped her with her makeup and she wears a few accessories to tie the whole outfit together.

She gets to Lexa’s just before 6pm. Once she reaches the door, she suddenly feels quite nervous. It definitely catches her off guard because she’s been here a million times before, but for some reason tonight feels like they’re going on a first date.

Before she can ring the doorbell, the door swings open and Lexa is on the other side.

“Wow,” Clarke breathes as she takes in the sight of the woman before. Lexa is also in a black dress, one that she hasn’t seen before. It’s a cocktail and curves in all the right places.

“Well one of us has got to change,” Clarke teases as she steps into the house.

Lexa’s expression wakes up and she gives Clarke a curious look, “I can change if you want? I was tossing between this and the blue–”

Clarke kisses Lexa mid-sentence. She pulls Lexa in closer by the waist and the two of them just fall into the moment. Everything around them because white noise and all she focuses on is their connection, both physically and emotionally.

“The only time you’ll be getting out of this dress is later tonight,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa lets out a small laugh, “Think you’re getting lucky tonight?”

“You tell me,” Clarke whispers. She leans in closer and kisses Lexa again.

“Should we get going?”

“Our Lyft car should be here in about ten minutes,” Clarke says. “But before we go, I have something for you.”

“Clarke…”

Clarke reaches into her bag and pulls out a black velvet box, “Please, just open it.”

Lexa takes the box, but before she opens it she leans forward and kisses Clarke again. “Thank you,” she whispers.

“I hope you like it.”

Lexa’s gift is a necklace with a silver ring pendant. The ring has also been engraved with the initials LW, MW, AW, CG and AG on it. Lexa takes the pendant in her hands and reads the engraving, only taking a couple of seconds to realise that it’s all their initials.

“Clarke…” Lexa breathes, “This is beautiful.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

Clarke takes the box and carefully takes the necklace out. Lexa picks up on what’s about to happen and turns around so that Clarke can put it on for her. Once the clasps is done, Lexa turns around and kisses Clarke again.

“Happy Valentine’s day, Lexa Woods.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Clarke.”

 

Their car comes soon after to take them to the restaurant. Clarke was so lucky that she was able to get a table tonight because it’s always booked out. _The River_ was recently named one of the best restaurants in the city and it’s got a view that people can only dream of having during their dinner. 

Lexa is so surprised when she sees where they are. There’s a moment where she’s in disbelief, not moving as she processes the fact that they are fine dining at one of the best restaurants on Valentine’s Day.

The atmosphere of the place is as expected. There’s continual chatter and the organised hustle of the waiters as they are guided towards their spot. Candles light each of the tables they walk past, there’s violins playing in the background and so much _love_ if felt in the room.

Their table is at the end of the restaurant, but probably one with the best view. It’s a small, square table just big enough for the two of them. They take a seat across from each other and the first thing they do is look out towards the wall-to-ceiling window and take it the city skyline before them. Some of the city buildings have been lit up in shades of red and pink for the night.

“This is beautiful,” Lexa whispers. “What did you sell to get a reservation here?”

Clarke laughs. “Raven,” she replies rather dramatically. 

Lexa laughs as well and looks around the room with such wonder. Clarke finds herself reaching across the table to take Lexa’s hand within her own. Lexa is so beautiful, so fucking beautiful that she finds herself losing her words momentarily.

Their little moment is interrupted as their waiter comes by to introduce himself as Sunny, who tells them that it’s a set four course meal with matching wine, if they choose to have it.

“Would you like any drinks to start off with?” Sunny asks them both.

“I’ll take a _Wonderland_ martini,” Clarke replies as she closes the drinks menu.

Lexa closes the menu too, “Make that two.”

Sunny smiles and takes the menus off the table, “I’ll be right back with those. Enjoy your night ladies.”

Once Sunny leaves, Lexa is the first to speak up. “So, really, how did you get reservations here?”

Clarke pretends to zip her lips.

“Clarke,” Lexa laughs, “Come on. I called here three months ago and they said they’ve been booked out for weeks.”

“It’s fun watching you like this,” Clarke teases.

“Clarke…”

“I know one of the assistant chefs,” Clarke explains, “He owed me a favour and was more than happy to get us a table.”

“Really?”

Clarke nods. “He’s the father of one of the kids from last year. You know Jake’s dad?”

Lexa thinks about it for a moment before her expressions says that she remembers the man. “Well thank Jake’s dad next time you see him.”

“I will.” Clarke gives Lexa’s hand a small squeeze before letting go, “So the twins went to the farm already?”

Lexa nods. “My dad was in town today and took them once we got home from school.”

“I’m excited for tomorrow.”

“Me too,” Lexa smiles. “My dad especially, he couldn’t stop talking about it earlier.”

“So tell me more about growing up on the farm…” Clarke prompts.

 

* * *

 

Their first course is a scallop carpaccio dish that has them over the moon with their first bite. Clarke definitely thinks that they’re being a little dramatic about the whole thing, but it’s been a while since she’s been to fine dining (and it seems like it’s been a while for Lexa too.)

“Maybe I should quit the florist and become a chef,” Lexa says in between her bites, “I could learn how to make food _this_ good and cook for you every day.”

Clarke laughs. “But if the food is this good, I’m going to gain weight like crazy and I’d have to start going to the gym again.”

“What’s so wrong with going to the gym?”

Clarke looks at Lexa rather seriously and points to herself, “Me? Go to gym? How long have you known me Lex?”

“Point taken,” Lexa laughs.

 

* * *

 

Clarke swirls the wine in her glass slightly and smells it, “I’m not a really big fan of red wine, but I’ve got to say this is pretty amazing.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Lexa asks. “I’ve had this 2012 one a couple of times and it’s definitely one of my favourites.”

Clarke takes another sip of wine and last bite of her second course. “You quit the florist and become a chef, I’ll quit being a teacher and open a winery to make _this_ wine.”

“ _This_ wine is already being made at a winery,” Lexa points on.

“Yeah… but I’ll _Clarke_ it up a little.”

Lexa let’s out a small chuckle, “Did you really just say _‘Clarke it up’?”_

“I did,” Clarke replies unapologetically.

“And what would that entail?”

Clarke leans in, prompting Lexa to do the same. “I’ll show you tonight,” she whispers just loud enough for Lexa to hear.

Lexa sits back in her chair and her cheeks slowly grow a tinge of red.

“The wine seems like it’s getting to your cheeks,” Clarke smiles, leaning back as well.

“Shut up.”

“If only your colleagues from Polis could see you know…” Clarke trails. “ _The Commander_ all hot and flustered over a little comment.”

“You know exactly what you do to me,” Lexa whispers.

Clarke holds up her glass towards the middle of the table, “To our future as a chef and a winery owner.”

 

* * *

 

There’s a moment during dinner where Clarke sees her entire future with Lexa. It’s during the most ordinary time, as Lexa talks to Sunny about the next wine they’re being served. But as Lexa speaks to their waiter, Clarke just watches and sees what the future entails.

It entails Lexa.

Mia.

Aden.

And Ava.

At this moment she can picture herself and Ava moving in with Lexa and the twins. She sees lazy Sunday mornings, she sees kissing Lexa goodbye as she drives the kids to school, there’s birthdays and Christmas’s, but most importantly she sees them _together._

 

* * *

 

Their main course is pistachio crusted lamb with a pumpkin puree. It smells as beautiful as it looks, so much so that they both end up sneaking a photo of it. Of course Clarke takes a few photos of Lexa and holds up the camera for a couple of selfies.

They both take a bite at the same time, and the response is instantaneous. There’s a general agreement that this is probably the best lamb that either of them have ever had. After a few more bites and a round of reassuring compliments, Clarke continues to conversation.

“What do you say to taking a trip during the school holidays?”

“After term 1?”

Clarke nods. “I was thinking it was about time we go away together… You, me, the kids…”

“That sounds great. Any places in mind?”

“We can always go classic and say Disneyland?” Clarke suggests, “Or I was even thinking camping, or just finding a cabin in the woods for a couple of days.”

“I can’t picture you camping…” Lexa teases quietly.

“Usually I would probably be offended by that statement, but it surprises me too,” Clarke laughs. “We use to do it a lot when I was younger but this would be Ava’s first time if we do go.”

“The twins have never been either,” Lexa tells her.

“Sounds like we have a trip.”

Lexa lifts up her glass and clinks it with Clarke’s, “That we do.”

 

* * *

 

If they thought the first three courses were good, dessert blows them out of the water. It’s an intricate design and almost looks _too_ good to eat.

“So do you want to become a pastry chef instead?” Clarke asks, “You could learn how to make this and make it for me every day.”

Lexa laughs. “Maybe we can get one of the kids to do it. I’ve never been too good with making desserts.”

“It looks too good to eat.”

Lexa takes her spoon and swipes up a bite of her dessert. But instead of taking a bite herself, she moves the spoon towards Clarke. “You can eat mine first.”

Clarke takes the bite without hesitation, her eyes never leaving Lexa’s.

“Good?” Lexa asks.

Clarke nods and licks her lips slightly. She catches Lexa staring and sends her a quick wink. The two of them eat their dessert slowly, talking about anything that comes up. For Clarke, she could be talking to Lexa about the most mundane things and still enjoy every second of it.

It’s now that they learn a little more about each other’s childhoods. Lexa tells her more about the life on the farm and what she wanted to be growing up. And Clarke shares her own stories about dreams and aspirations.

Sadly enough, they both finish their desserts. With a last bite, each of them fall back into their chairs, completely satisfied from their meal. For a while they just stare and smile at each other. Usually Clarke would feel weird about a moment like this, but Lexa looks at her in a way that completely consumes Clarke.

 

With some fight from Lexa, Clarke manages to pay for the bill herself. They leave Sunny a generous tip and make their way out of the restaurant. Finding a quiet place to themselves for a moment, Lexa pulls Clarke in for a slow kiss, Lexa’s hands at either side of Clarke’s face.

It’s a tender kiss, with no urgency or rush to the moment. Clarke completely falls into Lexa’s embrace, her hands resting on Lexa’s waist as they move their lips together.

“Someone’s definitely going to get lucky tonight,” Lexa whispers as they break away from the kiss.

Clarke keeps her hold around Lexa for the time being. She nudges her face closer, brushing their noses together. “I love you,” she breathes.

Lexa kisses Clarke again. “I love you too.”

“Our night isn’t over yet.”

Lexa looks up to Clarke, “It’s not?”

Clarke shakes her head. “I was thinking we could take a little walk around the harbour… Unless you just want to go back home? We can go if you like.”

“No,” Lexa replies quietly, “A walk would be nice.”

The two link arms and Clarke guides them down to the harbour. The city is alive tonight and undoubtedly filled with so much love. It’s cliché and anyone not in a relationship probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much, but Clarke’s got Lexa by her side so that’s all she cares about it.

They walk side by side, taking in the city before them. There are other couples around them, a few street performers and even families just spending the night out together. They don’t have to fill the silence between them as they walk. They stay as close as possible, stealing a couple of kisses here and there as well.

About ten minutes into their walk, they find themselves an empty bench. Clarke rests her head on Lexa’s shoulder, intertwining their fingers and letting out another content sigh.

Lexa responds by kissing the top of Clarke’s head. “This has been an amazing night.”

“Not too cliché?”

“The most cliché,” Lexa teases, “But sometimes cliché is good. I like cliché.”

Clarke laughs. “I had a really good time tonight too.”

“Next year I get to plan Valentine’s Day though.”

Clarke lifts her head off Lexa’s shoulder, “Next year, huh?” she asks playfully.

Lexa nods and slowly closes the distance between them, “Next year,” she repeats.

 

* * *

 

Clarke wakes up the following day with her arms around Lexa. Her eyes are barely open at this point but she can that Lexa is still fast asleep. She nuzzles herself closer to Lexa, taking a deep breath before trying to get back to sleep. But it’s no use; she can feel her body getting itself ready for the day ahead. 

But she decides to stay where she is for the time being. It never gets old, waking up next to Lexa. It’s become one of her most favourite things in her life and she hopes that one day it’ll become a daily thing.

A couple of minutes passes before Clarke feels Lexa stir beneath her touch. She pulls Lexa in closer, whispering a quiet “good morning” as she sees Lexa slowly wake up. Lexa incoherently mumbles a few things, causing Clarke to laugh. “Babe, I didn’t hear a thing you said.”

Lexa flips herself around, but her eyes remain closed. “Morning,” she whispers with a small smile.

Clarke smiles as well, “Morning,” she replies.

“What time is it?”

Clarke looks over to the clock on the wall. “Just past 8.”

Lexa groans softly. “Why are you up, it’s so early.”

“I thought I was the grumpy one in the morning.”

“I’m not grumpy,” Lexa argues.

“That’s debatable.”

“You’re the grumpy one.”

Clarke chuckles and kisses Lexa softly. “I could never wake up next to you grumpy.”

“You’re such a smooth talker.”

“You didn’t mind my smooth talking last night.”

Lexa rolls her eyes and without a word, moves to straddle Clarke under the covers. She doesn’t waste any time in closing the distance between them, giving Clarke a series of lazy morning kisses.

Clarke’s hands slip under Lexa’s shirt and roam the expanse of her back. Their kissing becomes a little more eager, and when Lexa starts a slow grind, a moan slips of Clarke’s lips.

“Lexa…” Clarke breathes.

“Yes?” Lexa replies, kissing along Clarke’s jaw.

Clarke lets another moan slip from her lips before continuing. “We should get up if we’re going to make it in time to have lunch at your parents’.”

Lexa stops kissing Clarke and chuckles, “You just had to bring up my parents now, didn’t you?”

“Sorry,” Clarke laughs.

“You really want to see the farm, don’t you?”

Clarke nods excitedly. “I really do.”

“Okay.” Lexa kisses Clarke one last time before removing herself from above Clarke.

Clarke sits up from the bed and watches as Lexa heads towards the bathroom, “Plus, you’re not much of a top,” she jokes.

Lexa turns around and looks completely offended. She turns back around and continues on into the bathroom, “I was going to ask if you wanted to join me in the shower, but I now I will just shower alone!” she calls back.

Clarke immediately hops out of bed and jogs towards the door, hoping to catch up to Lexa. But the bathroom door locks before she gets there. “Lexxxxxx…” Clarke calls out, “I take it back.”

 

* * *

 

“I still can’t believe you didn’t let me in,” Clarke says.

Lexa laughs. “Oh get over it, Clarke.”

“It’s not fair that you came out in the smallest towel as well,” Clarke whispers, “You left very little to the imagination.”

“I’m not the only one who can be smooth.” Lexa pauses and turns into the driveway of the farm, “We’re here.”

Clarke immediately turns to the back seat where Ava is peacefully sleeping. “Hey baby girl,” she nudges, “We’re here.”

Ava wakes up with a big yawn before gluing herself to the car window. Outside they can already see fields and fields of flowers. The blocks of colours are absolutely breathtaking. Rows of reds, pinks and yellows go for as far as the eye can see. Clarke herself is also glued to the window, because really, it’s one thing to be told about the farm (and to see pictures) but it’s another thing to actually be here.

“You might want to pick your jaw off the ground,” Lexa teases.

Clarke doesn’t know what to say. She’s seen the flowers at the florist, but seeing them like _this_ is totally different. It’s a long driveway but eventually the reach the house and at first glance, it fits perfectly in the scene of the farm. It’s a massive two-story house, recently renovated as well. Over to the far left there’s a classic red barn that brings a ridiculous smile to Clarke’s face.

When the car comes to a stop the first thing she sees is Mia and Aden running out of the house. Lexa is out of the car a second later, running up to the twins and wrapping her arms around them as tightly as she can. Clarke helps Ava out of the car and they’re both greeted with the same response, the twins eager to show them around.

“Hold your horses,” Lexa laughs, “We have all day.”

Gustus, Indra and Anya then come out of the house and greet them with the warmest of welcomes. Of course Anya brings up their Valentine’s date the night before, prompting Gustus and Indra to ask a few questions. But fortunately, Lexa manages to deter the conversation somewhere else.

The move inside and Clarke is just as taken away. Gustus tells them they have recently renovated the whole house and it is absolutely beautiful. It feels very modern, but still has that quiet farm life atmosphere running throughout the place. And the smell that lingers around has got Clarke going food crazy (once again).

“Grandpa’s making a big lunch!” Aden announces.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Clarke offers.

Gustus shakes his head, “You’re our guest. Are you hungry? Lunch won’t be done for about another hour but I can whip something up for you.”

“No it’s okay, thank you though.”

Gustus turns towards Lexa, “Why don’t you show Clarke and Ava around?”

“Sure you don’t need help with lunch?” Lexa asks again.

Gustus nods, “I’m sure.”

Clarke then finds herself being guided out the back of the house. The kids follow closely behind, with Mia and Aden proving entertaining commentary about what they see. The back of the house leads into more open land. There’s a tree house, a swing set and Clarke gets a closer look at the red barn.

“I can see why you loved growing up here,” Clarke comments.

Lexa smiles. “You haven’t seen anything yet.” She takes Clarke’s hand within her own and walks them towards the barn.

“What’s in there?”

“It used to be main operations,” Lexa explains, “But when my parents expanded the business they needed a larger space so they built another one over,” She points towards the other end of the property where Clarke sees a green warehouse, “There.”

They get to the barn doors and Lexa opens them without any problems (despite it looking like the doors weigh a tonne). “Now my parents just keep the barn free, usually we have family gatherings in here because it is quite nice.”

Clarke steps inside and nice does not begin to describe the place. To be honest it kind of reminds her of those new hip and trendy cafes. It’s got an interesting rustic feel to the place. There’s folded tables to the side and stacks and stacks of chairs. But the thing that catches her eye are the golf buggies parked in the middle of the space.

Lexa takes the driver seat of one of the buggies, “Come on, hop on.”

Clarke almost squeals with excitement. She takes the seat next to Lexa and the kids fit themselves at the back. Once everyone is securely on, Lexa drives out of the barn and takes a right. She goes onto explain a little about how the farm works and who works for them.

Clarke tries to take it all in but the sight before her is really something out of a magazine. Flowers fill the fields, with the colours and smell making it all that much more beautiful. It’s a slightly rocky ride but Lexa drives carefully, slowing down at certain parts to let them get a better look. As they keep going down the fields, Clarke begins to spot people and machinery being used.

“That machine there is Trevor,” Lexa explains, “The first machine my parents ever got.”

“TREVOR!” Mia calls from the golf cart.

Whoever is operating the machine sounds a long, large horn sound, which causes the kids to giggle.

The flowers seem to go on for forever. There are flowers that Clarke has never even seen before and in colours that she never knew was possible. She knew that the West-Wood Grounds were big, but she didn’t know that they were _this_ big.

“Block H,” Lexa announces as the cart comes to a stop. “Let’s go pick some flowers.”

Clarke doesn’t have to be told twice. They all hop out of the cart and make their way into the fields. The kids run off in front of them with a basket to gather some daises.

“This is… so beautiful,” Clarke breathes as they end up in the middle of the field.

Lexa takes out her phone and takes a few candid photos of Clarke. They also get a few selfies together before calling the kids over and getting a few family photos as well.

They walk around the daisy field for a while, with Clarke occasionally picking a few and placing them into the basket. Eventually Aden comes up to them, asking Clarke to kneel down to his level.

Clarke does as she’s asked, and Aden pulls a daisy from behind his back and places it behind her ear. It makes Clarke’s heart positively ache and she responds by kissing the top of his head. “I love you buddy.”

Aden grins and runs off again.

Clarke stands up straight again and turns towards Lexa. There’s so much she wants to say in this moment, so much on her mind. But the words seem to get lost somewhere as she tries to take everything in. They are standing in the middle of a field of daisies, Lexa is looking at her like she sees the stars and the kids are running around and filling the space with laughter.

“You okay?” Lexa asks.

Clarke takes a deep breath and nods. “I’m good,” she replies. “In fact, I’m perfect… this is perfect… _you’re_ perfect.”

Lexa smiles. “You’re pretty perfect yourself.”

“Thank you for bringing me here.” Clarke pulls Lexa in so that their foreheads are resting against each other’s. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> many thanks to [thehaughtcommander](http://thehaughtcommander.tumblr.com/) ([aos_skimmons on ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aos_skimmons/)) for being my beta :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> clexa's 2017

**March 2017**

It becomes a welcome routine that Clarke and Ava spend Friday nights at Lexa’s house. It doesn’t just feel like Lexa’s room; it feels like her room too. Lexa has even cleared out a couple of drawers for Clarke to store her clothes in, instead of her bringing an overnight bag each time. Slowly, a couple of photo frames have made their way onto the bookshelf and she even has her own charger in the switch board.

It’s not just Clarke though, Ava basically shares Mia’s room now. Being almost the same size, it’s easy enough for them to share their clothes and it definitely helps that they get along. Things could be so different if the kids didn’t have the relationship they have now.

What makes Clarke extremely happy is that Ava has told her how at home she feels with Lexa, Mia and Aden. This is such a crucial part to their whole relationship and seeing their two families become the one is the best thing Clarke could have ever hoped for.

Clarke wakes up before Lexa one Saturday morning and freshens up before making herself a cup of coffee. Usually she would start on breakfast, but today they’re going to out eat brunch with Raven and Anya.

With a cup of hot coffee in her hands, Clarke wanders around the quiet house. She ends up in the living room, in front of the bookshelf where an array of photo frames share beloved memories. Lexa’s told her all the stories behind the photos, but her favourite one has to be the one where the twins both got caught unwrapping Christmas gifts at midnight. Lexa took a photo of them in the act and the expression on their faces is priceless.

One of the bedroom doors creak open and Clarke recognises it as Aden’s door. Within a couple of seconds he appear in the living room, rubbing his eyes.

“Morning,” he mumbles.

“Morning,” she replies.

“Where’s mama?”

“She’s still asleep,” Clarke moves to the couch and places her cup on the table. “Come here, you look like you could still use some sleep.”

Aden yawns again and moves to settle besides Clarke. He rests his head on Clarke’s lap and closes his eyes once again. “You smell like coffee,” he comments. “How do you like that stuff?”

Clarke lets out a small chuckle and runs her fingers through his hair. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

“I don’t want to grow older.”

“Yeah, if you and the girls can stay this age forever, that would be great.”

Clarke laughs again and begins to hum a quiet tune. Aden’s breathing settles and Clarke is pretty sure he’s fallen back asleep. Fortunately, the TV remote is close by so that she’s able to turn it on and catch the morning news.

It’s only about ten minutes later that Aden wakes up again, almost running to go to the toilet. Clarke finishes her coffee and takes her mug to the sink, deciding that it’s time everyone else should start getting up. Walking past the girls’ room first, she peaks a look inside to seem them both awake and chatting aimlessly.

“Morning,” Clarke says as she steps into the room. “You girls want to start getting ready for breakfast?”

“Are we still going with Aunt Anya?” Mia asks.

“And Aunt Raven?” Ava chimes in.

Clarke nods. “And a few others.”

The girls nod excitedly and hop out of bed. Clarke leaves them for the time being, making her way back to her room to check on Lexa. Once in the bedroom, Clarke instantly makes her way to the bathroom.

“Morning,” Clarke greets as she sees Lexa.

But Lexa doesn’t respond; she just stares down at the sink. It takes a moment for Clarke’s eyes to follow, but then she realises what Lexa is looking at. It’s Clarke toothbrush. Even though Clarke’s got wardrobe space, she’s never left her toothbrush over at Lexa’s. But this morning, instead of putting her toothbrush back inside her travel container, she’s unknowingly put it in Lexa’s toothbrush holder.

“Sorry,” Clarke whispers, “I didn’t realise–” She’s cut off as Lexa turns around and shakes her head.

Lexa steps forward and places her hands on Clarke’s waist, leaning in for their first kiss of the day.

“Keep it there,” she whispers. “I guess my weekend girlfriend can leave her toothbrush in my bathroom.”

Clarke playfully rolls her eyes, “I’m going to kill Raven for coming up with that term.”

“What?” Lexa laughs, “It’s basically true. You’re here every weekend, therefore you’re my weekend girlfriend.”

“Does that mean you have a weekday girlfriend?”

Lexa shakes her head, “I actually have a Monday girlfriend… a Tuesday girlfriend… a Wedn–”

Now it’s Clarke’s turn to cut Lexa off with a searing kiss.

“But you’re my favourite girlfriend,” Lexa teases as they both take a breath.

Clarke hums. “You’re my favourite girlfriend too.”

 

* * *

**  
April 2017**

“Is that the last of the stuff?” Lexa asks.

Clarke nods and places the two duffel bags on the ground. “I’m going to make some sandwiches for the kids and then we can start on the tent.”

“That sounds good.”

“Do you want one?”

Lexa shakes her head. “I’ll start unpacking and laying things out.”

Their first trip as a family is officially camping. Term 1 of school is over and the kids have been beyond excited for this trip since Lexa told them about it. They’re about three hours away from home at the Hunter Valley National Park and they’re staying for two nights and three days. The weather for the next couple of days is meant to be a on the colder side, but it’ll be manageable.

Lexa’s gone all out for this trip and brought a one of the best tents on the markets. Tent buying was almost like buying a new car, she spent hours looking around, sitting inside and talking to the salesperson about each of them. But in the end, she found one that was perfect for the five of them. It’s one massive tent with a small common area that then has two separate “bedrooms.”

As Lexa decides on the perfect place to set up the tent, her attention eventually falls back on Clarke. Clarke is at the picnic table with the kids surrounding her, laughing and talking about something she’s not privy to. It looks like Clarke is halfway through making the sandwiches and Lexa can’t help but stare and smile.

“The tent won’t put itself up!” Clarke yells as she catches Lexa staring.

Lexa laughs and gets back to work. She tries to lay everything out in a logical order as she reads the manual to the tent. It really has been too long since she’s put up a tent, but she figures that she’s pretty good at putting IKEA furniture together so it can’t be that much different.

Clarke lends a helping about five minutes later and the two of them work together in putting the tent up. It’s not without a couple of misguided directions, but eventually they have their tent up in perfect condition.

After it’s up the kids run inside the tent and marvel at their new surroundings. Lexa and Clarke join them, bringing in their belongings and setting up their sleeping space. Of the course the kids will be sharing one of the “bedrooms” (which they’re more than fine with) and Lexa and Clarke will take the other one.

Their campsite is right on the edge of the lake, so once they are completely settled, Lexa takes the kids for a little swim. The water is cold _,_ and the kids are screaming the moment their feet hit the water. But kids being kids, they endure the cold and dive right in.

While Clarke floats with Mia and Aden, Lexa swims her way towards Ava who sits on top of their blue floatie.

“You okay there, Monkey?” she asks.

Ava nods excitedly. “This is so nice.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

They aren’t too far from the shore so Lexa is still able to reach the bottom of the lake. She grabs the spare elastic around her wrist and spins Ava around so that she can tie her hair up.

“ _What are you two up to?”_

Lexa turns around to see Clarke wading her way over. Mia and Aden follow closely behind as they kick themselves closer.

“We’re talking about out secret!” Ava blurts out, “You have to go away!”

Lexa can’t help but bite her bottom lip as she tries to hide her grin. Ava brings up “the secret” from time to time on her own accord and Clarke’s reaction is always so funny.

Clarke flicks water at them both. “Isn’t it about time I know the secret?”

Ava immediately shakes her head.

“You heard Ava,” Lexa laughs, “We just don’t think you’re cool enough.”

“You would think that being your girlfriend would entail me the chance to get in on this secret?” Clarke asks.

Now it’s Lexa’s turn to shake her head. “It’s not my call.”

“ _What’s not your call?”_ Mia asks as she joins the room.

“Mum wants to know our secret,” Ava answers.

“What secret?” Aden is then close enough to whisper into Mia’s ear, reminding her. “Ohhhhh,” Mia coos, “ _That_ secret.”

“So can I know yet?” Clarke asks, looking around the group.

“Nope,” Mia replies rather seriously (and rather quickly).

Clarke places her hand over her heart to mock being offended. “Oh how you all hurt me.”

 

After dinner, Lexa, Clarke and the kids sit around the campfire to begin making s’mores. This might be the kids’ first time camping, but they are all seasonal professionals when it comes to making the dessert. By now the moon shines high above the lake and stars are brighter than any of them have ever seen.

Clarke is the first to finish her s’more, then she’s up and jogging towards the tent. It confuses Lexa for a moment, but Clarke is back with her guitar before she gets a chance to ask anything.

“Time for some camp fire singing,” Clarke announces.

She sits back next to Lexa, tunes the guitar for a minute and then starts to play. Within the first few seconds Lexa recognises the song as Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.” It’s one of those songs that she got very sick of because it was always on the radio, but seeing it’s been quite a while since it came out, it’s a song she welcomes in the moment.

Clarke begins to sing, with the kids occasionally joining in as well.

“ _I tried to be chill, but you’re so hot that I melted…”_

_“Look into your heart and you’ll find love, love, love…”_

_“We’re just one big family...”_

_“There’s no need to complicate, our time is short, this is our fate, I’m yours…”_

As they reach the end of the song, Lexa leans her head on Clarke’s shoulder and hums along. Her eyes fall on the kids and her heart sings with so much joy.

They laugh, they eat, they sing.

They look and feel like a family and Lexa is just so undeniably happy.

Clarke plays a few more songs at the request of the kids, and Lexa even gives it a go. She knows how to play; it’s just been a while. Clarke tries to help by guiding Lexa’s fingers, but that doesn’t help as Lexa becomes easily distracted.

“Some student you are,” Clarke teases.

Lexa looks to the kids, who are off in their own little world. She turns back to Clarke and whispers just loud enough for her to hear, “You can be very distracting Miss Griffin.”

Clarke lets out a small chuckle and kisses Lexa on the cheek. She takes the guitar off Lexa and makes herself comfortable again, calling for the kids to come in closer. “So what are song are we going to sing next?”

 

* * *

 **  
May 2017**

“How did we end up here?” Clarke asks quietly.

Lexa laughs a little. “Anya can be very convincing,” she replies.

“I don’t even remember agreeing–” Clarke is cut off as Lexa grabs her arm, pulling her back to some people can rush past them.

It’s a Saturday morning and instead of sleeping in, Clarke finds herself in a studio where they’re about to do a photoshoot. Somehow Anya’s convinced both her and Lexa to let the Mia, Aden and Ava model a couple of kids’ wedding outfit she’s been working on. Clarke has no problem with it at all, it’s just there is so much commotion and hustle around her. It’s a lot to process.

At the moment, the kids all stand on podiums as people work on their final touches. The kids are absolutely loving the attention and are so excited with what’s about to happen. Anya is also around them, commanding her employees as she pleases to make sure everything is perfect.

Clarke and Lexa stand close by, but far enough to not be in the way. They’ve taken a few photos themselves and are definitely excited as well. Clarke then spots Raven coming through the studio with a tray of coffee. Her first stop is to Anya, giving her the largest cup and chaste kiss before stepping out of the way.

Things between Anya and Raven have been going really well. While they both deny it at every turn, it’s clear that they very serious about their relationship and Clarke thinks that they both have found the one. And she’s extremely happy for them.

Raven reaches her moments later, “Morning. Coffee?” she offers.

Clarke immediately takes a cup, “Thanks Raven.”

Lexa also takes a cup and thanks Raven as well.

“The kids are naturals,” Raven comments, turning her attention back to where the kids are.

Lexa nods in agreement. “Who knows, maybe today we’ll find out that one of them has a knack for this.”

 

About half an hour later it seems like the kids are ready for their first set of photos. Anya has everyone step away from the podiums, leaving her to give one final glance without the chaos surrounding the kids. During this time, Anya also calls for Clarke and Lexa to step up and give their opinions. Anya knows exactly what she wants from this photoshoot but she reminds Clarke that her priority is on them and the kids, making sure that they are all comfortable through the entire shoot.

Clarke steps up to Ava first and can’t contain her smile. Ava is in a white poofy dress that just reaches the ground. Her hair is braided intricately and she’s got some pink lip gloss on.

“Think you can give me a little twirl?” Clarke asks.

Ava twirls carefully on the podium, “I feel like a princess.”

Clarke smiles. “You look like one too.”

Her attention then shifts to Mia and Aden who are dressed just as cute. Mia wears a one shoulder cream dress with lace whereas Aden is in a navy blue suit. Honestly, she just wants to pack the kids into a box and take them home like this. But alas, Anya would probably chase her down before she even makes it out of the door.

After a few more private photos (ones that both Clarke and Lexa assure won’t be uploaded anywhere), Anya guides them to the photoshoot area. This area is a lot less chaotic then the one before, giving Clarke a little more room to process her surroundings. She’s never been to a photoshoot before but she trusts Anya completely, so her mind is at ease.

Anya introduces them to Maxwell, their photographer for the day. He’s nice enough and talks a little about how the day will go. And seeing him interact with the kids for the first time just cements Clarke’s ease for the entire day. He kneels down to their level, shows them a couple of his cameras and introduces his team.

“So who wants to go first?” Maxwell asks.

Despite how excited they are, there is a moment of hesitation amongst the kids. Just as Clarke is about to step up, Aden does so first.

“I’ll go first,” he says confidently.

Maxwell smiles, “Ah my man.”

Aden walks into the main area, giving Anya a high-five along the way. Music starts to play through the stereo and after a few more encouraging words from Maxwell, the photoshoot is off. To put it simply, Aden is natural. Part of Clarke thinks that he wants to make sure that the girls see him doing the photoshoot with no problems at all.

Anya comes by and gives them a laptop that the photos upload to in real time. Instantly, Lexa is glued to the screen as various shots of Aden comes up.

“Go Aden!” Raven yells across the room. She wolf-whistles as well and Aden throws some finger guns towards them.

“Finger guns?” Lexa laughs. “I didn’t know he did that kind of thing.”

“Clarke taught him,” Raven blurts out.

Clarke whacks Raven in the arm, but doesn’t deny the comment. “Aden is one handsome kid,” she comments.

Lexa chuckles and nudges Clarke playfully. “Don’t think I’m going to forget about you teaching Aden how to do finger guns.”

“I’ve got ways to make you forget,” Clarke winks.

 

* * *

 

  **June 2017**

Ava becomes sick on her 7th birthday and isn’t able to go to school. It’s nothing too serious, but Clarke still makes the call for her to stay home so that she doesn’t get the other kids sick. Lexa’s has offered to take the day off from work, just because it’s easier for her than it is for Clarke. And plus, she has no problems doing so. They are a family now and this is what family does for each other.

Ava is currently lying on Lexa’s lap, slowly nodding off with each passing minute. Lexa can’t help but run her fingers through Ava’s hair, humming a familiar tune. But Ava doesn’t fall asleep, instead sitting up and letting out a few harsh coughs.

“You’re okay,” Lexa whispers as she rubs Ava’s back. “You’re okay.”

Ava coughs a little more before taking her water bottle off the table and taking a sip. Lexa then pulls Ava to sit on her lap, hugging her tightly.

“I’m sorry you’re sick on your birthday,” Lexa says.

Ava lets out a deep breath, “It’s okay,” she replies. “I’m sorry you had to miss work.”

Lexa shakes her head, “There’s nothing to be sorry about. Your mum would have stayed instead but then the school would have to find another teacher and that would have been a lot of work.”

“You don’t have to find another worker for the flower shop?”

Lexa shakes her head again, “My workers are really good and can sell the flowers without me.”

“I might be sick but I’m happy I get to spend my birthday with you.”

Lexa’s heart positively aches. She kisses Ava’s temple and smiles, “I’m happy I get to spend the day with you too.”

“Can you read me a book?”

Lexa nods, “Of course, why don’t you go to the bookshelf and choose something?”

Without another word, Ava is up choosing a book. It takes her a couple of minutes but eventually she picks out one of Lexa’s favourite picture books. It’s Shaun Tan’s “The Red Tree.” It is definitely a thought provoking picture book with a lot of meaning to it. The twins have read it a couple of times before, coming up with a different perspective on it each time.

“ _The Red Tree,”_ Ava says slowly, “I haven’t read this one yet.”

“Why don’t we read it together?” Lexa asks.

“I don’t know if I can.”

Lexa pats the empty chair space beside her, “I’ll help you.”

Ava makes herself comfortable and takes a moment to admire the cover. She’s careful with turning the pages, as if she knows that it’s Lexa favourite picture book.

When they finish reading the book Ava gives a small yawn.

“That was really good,” she whispers as she closes the book.

Lexa nods. “It’s one of my favourites.”

“Thank you for reading it with me.”

Lexa pulls Ava in for a quick hug, kissing her head in the process. It’s in this moment that she decides that she’s going to give Ava her birthday present. While the plan was to wait until dinner that night, Lexa thinks that this will help Ava forget that she’s sick, even if it’s just for a moment. She tells Ava to stay put for a moment while she runs into her bedroom to get the gift.

Returning to the living room moments later, Lexa finds Ava in the exact same spot. For some reason she treads softly, making her way closer and kneeling down in front of Ava. “Happy birthday Ava,” she says. Ava’s eyes immediately go wide at the gift in Lexa’s hand. It is wrapped in rainbow wrapping paper with a red bow on the top.

“Thank you Lexa!”

“Open it.”

“Are you sure?” Ava asks.

Lexa nods. “Your mum won’t mind, I promise.”

Ava grins and begins to unwrap the gift. It’s wrapped in a couple of layers but eventually she gets to the end and pulls out the Monopoly board game. While Lexa knows the perils of the board game, Ava has been asking for it since playing it a birthday party she went to a couple of weeks earlier.

“Do you want to play it now?” Lexa asks.

“Can you play with just two people?”

Lexa nods, “We sure can.”

 

* * *

 

 **July 2017**

**Clarke Griffin** tagged you in a photo

Lexa smiles as she sees the notification pop up on her screen. She’s currently in the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of water as Clarke finishes getting ready in the bedroom. Today is Lexa’s birthday and despite being a fully grown adult, she’s being dragged out for the night by her girlfriend and friends. It’s not that she doesn’t want to spend time with them, it’s just that she would rather have a quiet night at home. But that is just wishful thinking when she has Anya as a sister.

Once she’s unlocks her phone, she clicks on the notification and it takes her to Instagram. Instantly, she sees a photo of herself and Clarke. It’s one they took a couple of nights ago, with Clarke kissing Lexa’s cheek. She then reads the caption:

> There is no way to describe how I feel about this amazing woman. She is kind, caring, beautiful, smart and so loving. As we became friends I realised that she, Mia and Aden filled a space in my life that I didn’t know needed to be filled. She has welcomed us with open hearts and I can only hope that Ava and I have done the same for her and the twins. Being able to watch our little families become one will be the thing I hold dearest in this life. Happiest of birthdays to my one and only, Pretzel Woods. I love you.

Lexa can’t hold back her laugh, she rereads the last line. _Pretzel Woods._ At this point she is absolutely confused because they don’t have an inside joke naming her a pretzel. And it’s not like it’s a spelling error either because _Lexa_ and _Pretzel_ are two very different words, but here it is in Clarke’s caption. Without thinking Lexa takes a screen shot of the Instagram posts and pockets her phone as she hears Clarke walking towards the kitchen.

“Lex,” Clarke calls, “Your dad called and said that they just got back to the farm. The kids are fine.”

“That’s good. Has Raven texted you yet?”

Clarke steps into the kitchen and Lexa’s jaw hits the ground. Clarke wears a low cut black blouse tucked into a pair of white jean. It’s probably one of her simpler outfits but she makes it work so well. Clarke always manages to tease just enough cleavage and shows off her curves spectacularly.

“Cat got your tongue, Woods?” Clarke teases.

Lexa makes her way over and places her hands on Clarke’s waist, not quite closing the distance but keeping the connection there. “Wow,” she breathes, “I’m one lucky birthday girl.”

Clarke leans in just slightly, “You’ll be a luckier birthday girl later tonight if you play your cards right.”

Lexa lets out a small chuckle and closes the distance between them. The kiss they share is sweet and passionate. They let themselves get wrapped up in their own little world for the time being. But unfortunately for Lexa, it gets interrupted as they hear the front door being opened.

“ _WE’RE HERE!”_ Raven yells out.

“Raven has a key?” Clarke asks curiously.

Lexa lets out a small sigh, “No. But Anya does.”

“ _TIME FOR PRE-DRINKS!”_ Anya calls.

“In the kitchen!” Lexa replies. She turns back to Clarke and kisses her on the cheek, “You look amazing.”

Raven, Anya, Octavia, Lincoln and Bellamy come through to the kitchen. The first thing Lexa notices is that they are all dressed to impress. But seeing as they haven’t gone out like this in a while, she figures they all are just making up for the lost time.

Lexa doesn’t actually know they’re going tonight. All she was told is to be ready by 7pm, where Anya and the others will come by for some pre-drinks before heading out for the night. Though she would rather spend a quiet night at home, the atmosphere between the group starts to excite her.

Anya preps everyone’s first drink of Vodka and pineapple juice. However, Lexa learns that Octavia and Bellamy have a bad history with Vodka and opt for a beer instead. Raven concocts their second drink but doesn’t tell the group what’s in it. All Lexa knows is that the drink is purple and tastes like nothing she’s ever had before. Their last drink is a tequila shot each. Lincoln holds up the shot glass towards the middle, with everyone doing the same. “To Lexa,” he says, “And to one hell of a night!”

Lexa finishes her shot last, immediately going for the lime slice afterwards. She’s already feeling the alcohol buzz and her cheeks feel slightly warm. It doesn’t go unnoticed by the group, but they only tease her for a hot second before letting it go.

As they’re all walking towards the door, Lexa wonders how they’re going to get to wherever they are going for the night, since all of them have been drinking.

But her question is answered before she even gets to ask it. Outside her house is a white hummer limousine.

“Oh my god,” Lexa whispers in awe.

Anya comes up beside her and nudges her playfully, “Happy birthday Lexa.”

The driver opens the door for them and wishes Lexa a happy birthday when she’s close enough. Once she’s inside, she’s absolutely mesmerised. This is the first time she’s been in a limo and it’s pretty extravagant. There is more than enough space for everyone, with Lexa taking a seat in the middle of the group. There’s small TV screens, lights and even a minibar with a couple more drinks.

Then the limo is off, driving towards their destination. Raven pulls out a couple of bags of potato chips and hands them around the group while Lincoln offers water bottles to everyone. It’s light and easy conversation for the time being.

As Raven is about to upload a photo she’s taken to Instagram, she bursts out into a fit of laughter. Everyone stares at her but it takes a good minute for her to settle down. When she can, she hands over her phone to Octavia and Octavia is then laughing just seconds later.

“What’s so funny?” Anya asks. She then gets the phone, and the same thing happens – Anya is laughing just as hard.

Eventually Lexa gets the phone and she sees the photo that Clarke had uploaded to Instagram and instantly she knows they’re laughing about “Pretzel Woods.” Of course she’s laughing as well, turning to Clarke in the process and grinning from ear to ear.

“What?” Clarke asks.

Lexa hands over the phone to Clarke. During this time, Raven holds up her champagne glass. “To Pretzel Woods!” she smiles.

Everyone lifts up their glass and cheers along. Clarke’s face drops as she realises what she typed, going for her own phone to assumedly change the caption.

“Oh my god,” Clarke groans, “How does something like that even happen?”

“Only you,” Octavia laughs.

Anya laughs again as well, “ _Pretzel_ and _Lexa_ are two very different words, Clarke. Are you sure you’re qualified to be teaching?”

“Bite me,” Clarke snaps back.

“Excuse me,” Raven cuts in, “No biting my girlfriend. Unless I can bite yours.” She turns to wink to Lexa.

Anya whacks Raven on the arm, “That’s my sister.”

Lexa laughs and switches seat with Octavia to be able to sit next to Clarke. She watches as Clarke changes the caption on the photo. “I should tell you that I already took a screenshot of that.”

Clarke groans. “Lexa.”

“It’s funny.”

“To you it is.”

Lexa kisses Clarke’s cheek, “Pretzel Woods has nice ring to it.”

Clarke turns and faces Lexa completely, they share a quick kiss before joining the rest of the group in the conversation.

The topic turns to the kids and where they all are for the night. Mia, Aden and Ava are at Lexa’s parents’ house. Lucas is with Octavia’s mum. And Bellamy’s twins are with Gina and her family.

 

The drive last another twenty minutes before they reach their destination. When Lexa steps out of the limo she’s instantly met with a large neon sign that reads “SINGING DUCKS’ KAROKE BAR.”

“Oh no,” Lexa whispers.

Anya laughs, “Oh yes. Tonight, we’re singing!”

They all make their way inside, with Anya leading them through the corridors. It’s like she knows exactly where she’s going. As they walk through the place, Lexa takes in her surroundings. At the entrance is what she thinks is the main bar, with a good number of people occupying the space. But as they walk further into the establishment, she soon realises that it branches off into a number of rooms.

Their room is right at the end, and when she walks in she can’t help but feel captivated. It’s a big room with various couches and tables and a wide plasma in the middle of the room. Under the plasma there’s an iPad and two microphones neatly set up.

Their waiter, Henry, tells them about the room and how to use the various equipment. He explains that to choose the songs, they just have to scroll/search through the iPad. Ordering drinks and food is done through the iPad as well. Once he’s done with his small introduction, he leaves the room and everyone settles onto the couches.

Anya dims down the lights, and it’s at this time that the tables light up to provide just enough lighting in the room. It’s a pretty cool place if Lexa thinks so herself. During this time, Clarke and Raven are already on the iPad and searching for their first song to sing and while Lexa isn’t much of a singer, she is quite excited for the night ahead.

The first song they just so happen to sing is Kygo’s _Happy Birthday._ Clarke moves Lexa to the middle of the room, then goes back to stand by the plasma with Raven. They waste no time in starting the song dramatically singing the lyrics right off the top of their lungs. Everyone in the room eventually joins in as well and Lexa can’t help but blush. All eyes are on her and she feels so loved (embarrassed as well, but loved nonetheless).

After the song ends, the rest of the party comes by. Harper, Jasper, Miller, Monroe and Maya enter the room, clearly ready for the night ahead. Lexa greets them all first, thanking them for coming by and finds a seat for them in the room.

The night continues; they drink, eat, laugh, but most importantly they sing. It’s inevitable that after a few drinks, Lexa is also singing. Her first song is duet with her sister, singing Ed Sheeran’s _Drunk_ and everyone cheers after the song is over. Having all eyes on her doesn’t make her uncomfortable, but she finds herself blushing nonetheless.

After about two hours, Anya switches on the lights and grabs everyone’s attention. She stands at the front of the room with her drink in her hand, waiting as everyone takes a seat.

“We will get back to the singing soon, I promise,” she says, “But I just to say a few words to my dear sister.”

Lexa smiles, “Don’t get all sappy on me now.”

“I make no promises.” Anya pauses and clears her throat. “Happy birthday Lex.”

When Anya doesn’t say anything else, Lexa raises an eyebrow. “Is that all?” she laughs.

Anya shrugs, “I told you I just wanted to say a few words,” she replies as she holds up her drink, “To Lexa!”

Everyone around the room lifts their glass, “To Lexa!” they cheer back.

Lexa can’t help but laugh and clinks her glass with some of her friends that surround her. As she’s taking a sip of her drink, she feels Clarke get up from the seat to stand at the front of the room.

“Lexa,” Clarke smiles, “Anya might not have given you a sappy speech, but I definitely am.”

“Awwwwww!” Raven yells.

Clarke eyes Raven dramatically before returning her focus to Lexa. “I love you more than I can possibly explain right now,” she continues. “I am so grateful that you, Mia and Aden are now a part of my life. I know Ava is too. A year ago if you told me that I would find my soulmate so soon, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am, totally head of heels in love with my soulmate.” She pauses and clears her throat again. “It might be crazy to say that now considering we haven’t even been together a year yet but what I feel for you, for the twins, can have no other explanation. You are my soulmate and we are meant to spend the rest of our lives together.”

Lexa gets up from her seat and strides towards Clarke. Without a word, she crashes their lips together for a fiery kiss. Everyone in the room cheers and howls, but Lexa ignores it. All she wants to do is kiss Clarke, and kiss Clarke she does. It lasts longer than she intends, but she’s sure that Clarke gets the message Lexa is trying to send.

“I love you Clarke Griffin,” Lexa breathes as she breaks away from the kiss.

Clarke smiles and kisses Lexa again. “Happy birthday,” she whispers.

They turn back towards their friends, who are all grinning and smiling. Clarke tells everyone that her speech is done and they can all get back to singing. This is welcomed news to all, but before they start singing again Raven grabs everyone’s attention.

Raven is definitely on the tipsy side of the scale. She rather dramatically clears her throat and once everyone is quiet she speaks up, “Before we start singing, I have a confession to make.”

“A confession?” Lexa asks.

Raven nods. “It’s not bad,” she reassures, “The only person who will think it’s bad is Clarke.”

“I’m intrigued,” Lexa comments, “Go on.”

Clarke glares at Raven, “Yeah Raven, go on.”

Raven turns her focus to Clarke and speaks into the microphone, “Two nights ago I had your phone…” she recounts, “And I may have changed a few things… I set it so that whenever you typed Lexa’s name it would autocorrect to _Pretzel.”_

Clarke gasps, and everyone who knows about the earlier incident burst out into laughter.

“I can’t believe you didn’t realise when you were posting that photo to Instagram,” Raven laughs.

“I hate you,” Clarke replies.

Raven shrugs playfully. “You can’t hate me, it’s your girlfriend’s birthday.” She pauses and runs over to the iPad, selecting a random song to start playing.

“You have no logic when you’re drunk, Reyes.”

Raven acts as if she can’t hear and begins to sing along to Justin Timberlake’s _Sexy Back._

* * *

 

**August 2017**

Clarke spends one Saturday afternoon watching Mia, Ava and Aden. Lexa is busy working with a client to finalise the floral arrangements for an event the following day. It’s just past lunch and Clarke finishes the dishes. She wanders into the room to see the kids sprawled across the living room floor. They all look bored out of their minds.

“Is it going to stop raining any time soon?” Aden asks.

Clarke looks outside the window to see it pouring before turning back to Aden, “Sorry bud, it’s meant to rain all day and tomorrow.”

To make matters a little worse, the heavy weather has also caused a blackout. The plan was to watch movies all afternoon, but it’s not possible at the moment. But fortunately Clarke comes up with an idea on how they can spend their afternoon.

“Hey,” she calls out, “Why don’t we build a fort?”

“A fort?” Ava repeats.

Clarke nods. She looks around the living room, trying to visualise what it would look like in her head. “Let’s build a fort right here.”

All the kids go wide-eye and are nodding excitedly. They jump onto their feet, eager to start on the fort building. So Clarke instructs them on how they will do this. First, they have to clear the living room to make enough space. It’s easy enough task to move the couches and coffee table.

Clarke then tells the kids to grab all the blankets and pillows they can find and to make a pile in the hallway for the time being. In the meantime, Clarke works to building the main foundation of the fort. She grabs the dining table chairs and positions them strategically around the living room. She also brings a couple of full boxes from the garage to give the fort a little height, and some rope to support the blankets.

It’s trial and error for a while, but eventually Clarke manages to build the fort with the kids. The lighter blankets are used to build the actual fort, while the other blankets are moved inside. Clarke is pretty proud about the finished project.

Inside, the kids are arranging the blankets and pillows to make the floor as comfortable as they can get it and Clarke quickly jumps in to help. She helps them out, and they have the perfect set up just moments later.

“This is so cool,” Mia comments.

Clarke smiles, “It is isn’t it?”

“Do you think mama will like it?”

Clarke nods, “Definitely.” And as if on cue, Clarke’s phone lights up with Lexa’s name. She answers it, “Hey, we were just talking about you.”

“ _Were you now?”_

Clarke hums, but before she gets a chance to respond, Mia is yelling, “WE BUILT A FORT MAMA!”

“ _Did Mia just say you built a fort?”_

Clarke ruffles Mia’s hair slightly, “Yeah, we built a fort. It’s pretty good.”

“ _Well I was actually calling to say that I’ve finished work early.”_

 _“_ You have?” Clarke asks.

_“I have. I’m just going to drop by the grocery store and wanted to check if we needed anything else.”_

Clarke thinks about it for a moment. “No, everything we need is on the list I gave you this morning.”

“Mama, come home!” Aden yells, “This fort is so cool.”

Clarke nods, “Aden’s right you know. This fort is very cool.”

“ _So you’ve said,”_ Lexa laughs. “ _I’m be home very soon. Give the kids a kiss for me.”_

Clarke says goodbye and throws her phone to the side. Without a warning, she pulls the kids into a group hug, kissing the top of their heads multiple times. The kids squeal and laugh in response and Clarke feels her heart fill with so much love.

“I love you all so much,” Clarke smiles.

 

* * *

 

**September 2017**

Lexa learning that the flower farm has become one of Clarke’s favourite places in the world makes her ruinously happy. The farm is home; it will always be. And for Clarke to feel as if it is home for her also is so important to Lexa. Every aspect of their respective lives are melding together and she’s so grateful that things keep working out for them.

It’s another weekend spent at the farm. It’s Lexa’s dad birthday and they’ve all driven up to celebrate the weekend with him. Not only has it been a birthday weekend, it’s been a weekend where Clarke and Ava have met more of her extended family. And to say they’ve made a good first impression would be an understatement. Lexa is sure that her family (almost) loves the Griffins as much as she does.

It’s Sunday morning and like something out of a cheesy rom-com, Lexa is chasing Clarke through the lavender fields. They started an early morning stroll, but halfway through the walk Clarke decides to tickle Lexa and run off. Of course it causes a reaction, and that’s how Lexa finds herself chasing Clarke through the fields.

Lexa doesn’t think could ever get more beautiful, but there are times when she is proven wrong. Now is one of those times. As they’re running through the fields, Clarke turns back and her hair sways perfectly in the wind. Lexa swears she almost tumbles at the sight, but manages to continue without falling.

Eventually she catches up and grabs Clarke by the waist. They fall into a hug and Lexa picks Clarke up, spinning her around on the spot. It really easy a moment out of a cheesy rom-com but with how happy Lexa is right now she couldn’t care less.

The spinning stops as they share a passionate kiss. They hold each other close and Lexa wouldn’t be surprised if Clarke could feel her heart beating right out of her chest. The kiss ends, but neither of them move too far away from each other.

“You know I realised…” Lexa trails off.

“What?”

“It’s been about a year since we’ve been together,” she smiles. “This time last year we were at the beach house and decided that we should take things slow.”

Clarke smiles, “That was the best decision we’ve ever made.”

“Mmm, I can definitely agree to that,” she replies as they share another kiss.

 

* * *

 

**October 2017**

Clarke Griffin loves celebrating her birthday and this year is not much different. The only change is that as well as being excited for it, she’s also nervous and scared. But it’s a good type of nervous and scared (she hopes). Why? Because Lexa is taking her skydiving and it’s going to be the first time that either of them have done it.

Her actual birthday ends up being on a school day, so it’s the following Saturday that they’re going to make the jump. Clarke doesn’t really know how she was convinced into doing this. She’s never had the urge to jump out of a plane before. But Lexa is all sorts of fearless about it, and makes Clarke feel safe. It makes her feel like she too can conquer the world, or at least jump out of a plane successfully.

The plan for the day is to arrive at the skydiving location at 11am, jump and land by 12:30pm and then make their way over to have lunch with the kids and a few of their friends. For the skydiving part of the day, Anya and Raven will be taking care of Ava, Mia and Aden.

They’ve been driving for about an hour now and Clarke sees a big sign that reads “SKY JUMP” which lets her know that they’ve arrived. Location-wise, it’s similar to that of Gustus and Indra’s farm. They’re out in the country side and it’s just open land for as far she can see. She’s really starting to fall in love with this type of scenery.

“Still nervous?” Lexa asks as they make a right into the driveway of the place.

Clarke nods rather furiously, but reaches to grab Lexa’s free hand. “But you jump, I jump.”

“Even if it’s into a pit of rotten tomatoes?”

Clarke laughs, which settles her nervousness slightly. “I don’t know how we’d ever end up in that situation, but yes, even if it’s in a pit of tomatoes.”

“Ah,” Lexa breathes, “Modern love.” She lifts Clarke’s hand to her lips and kisses it softly, “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

The drive up to the main warehouse is short and relatively quiet. Clarke takes in her surroundings further. There’s a couple of big warehouses at the end of the driveway and she sees a plane landing as they pull into the car park. She grateful that the weather is nothing short of perfect at this point, with just a couple of clouds in the sky.  

Once the car is parked, they walk hand in hand towards what they assume to be the main warehouse. There’s a couple of people walking about and they confirm that they’re going the right way. As they walk through the door, the reception desk is the first thing they see and the workers behind the desk greet that instantly.

Lexa takes the lead from here on out. They go through all the formalities, sign papers and make small talk in between. It’s also now that they also meet the people who will be taking them up into the sky; Lucy is their pilot, Ethan will be Lexa’s jumping instructor and Zoe will be Clarke’s. Meeting the jumping instructors definitely eases Clarke’s nerves a little further.

“So are there any questions?” Ethan asks.

Clarke takes a small breath but eventually shakes her head. “So what now?”

“Now we get you to watch a short video, we’ll get you changed and then head out to the plane.”

“Wow,” Clarke gasps, “We’re really doing this.”

Lexa laughs slightly and gives Clarke’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “You jump, I jump,” she whispers.

Clarke nods and they follow Zoe throughout the warehouse. She guides them to a smaller room with a couple of chairs and a plasma TV. They sit and watch the ten-minute video. The video goes through introducing the Sky Jump company, the equipment, the plane, safety procedures and it ends with a few comments from previous jumpers.

The nervousness comes back the moment Clarke is putting on the jumpsuit. She doesn’t have to say anything for Lexa to notice. Thankfully it’s just them in the changing room, and Clarke gets a long and reassuring hug from Lexa. They stand in each other’s arms for a while, and it definitely helps. She definitely wants to do this; she just can’t help the nerves that sit with her.

“You okay?” Lexa asks as she pulls back from the hug.

Clarke nods. “Let’s jump.”

They head back out where Ethan and Zoe then attach the harnesses on. It’s been a while since Clarke’s stepped into a harness, but it still as uncomfortable as she remembers. They sign a couple more waivers regarding pictures and videos and then make their way out of the warehouse. During this time, they learn that this will be Ethan’s 900th jump and Zoe’s 888th jump.

They reach a small white plane with red and yellow running across the body. It seems like the crew is just running through a few checks before the flight, as well as filling it with fuel. Zoe uses this time to tell Clarke and Lexa about what’s going to happen at certain altitudes. They’ll be jumping out of the plane at 12,00ft, free fall will last about 50 seconds before the parachute is let out and they’ll reach the ground about 5 minutes after.

“So why are you guys jumping today?” Ethan asks.

“It’s my birthday,” Clarke reveals, “And my girlfriend surprised me with this.”

“I hope it’s a good surprise,” Ethan smiles.

Clarke nods. “It is.”

“Well happy birthday, Clarke.”

“If I surprised my boyfriend with skydiving he’d probably break up with me,” Zoe laughs.

Clarke raises an eyebrow, “But you’ve done nearly 900 jumps, that’s pretty reassuring.”

Zoe shrugs. “ _Boys,”_ she replies. “But he did say that he’ll do my 1000 th jump with me, so I’m definitely going to hold him to that.”

At that moment, Lucy comes by and lets them know that the plane is ready to go. This definitely causes Clarke’s heart to skip a beat as she realises she’s another step closer to actually doing this. They listen to couple more rules about plane safety and before she knows it, Clarke is stepping into the plane along with the other guys.

It’s seems smaller on the insider than it does on the outside, but maybe that’s just her nerves affecting her perspective on things. They take their seats and Lexa grabs onto her hand immediately, giving it a small squeeze to let her know that she’s right there as well.

Fortunately, the flight up is less rocky that Clarke expected it to be. She looks out the window most of the time and admires view. A lot of it is just open land, but occasionally there’s a herd of cattle of horses and in the distance she can even see the city.

At certain altitudes Ethan and Zoe begin the final prep for the jump. Ethan is Lexa’s jumping master and Zoe is Clarke’s. They attach their harnesses together and double check each other’s work. When the all clear is given, Zoe opens the door to plane and the cool air hits Clarke immediately.

“I’ll go first!” Lexa screams just loud enough for Clarke to hear.

Clarke nods and gives a reassuring smile. “You jump, I jump!” she replies.

Lexa kisses the tip of her own fingers and gives Clarke’s cheek a small caress. “Love you,” she mouths.

“Love you too,” Clarke mouths back.

Ethan thank positions them by the plane and with one final wave, Ethan and Lexa are falling backwards out of the plane. Zoe nudges them closer towards the door and Clarke watches as Lexa is free falling to the ground.

“Ready?!” Zoe asks.

Clarke nods. “Ready!”

Zoe countdowns their jump and next thing Clarke knows, she’s out of the plane. It takes a second for her to register that she’s out, but when she does she’s ecstatic. Free falling is more than just having an extreme case of the butterflies, it feels like she’s flying. Zoe does a couple of spins and tricks, and eventually settles down to let Clarke take in the view. And what a view it is.

Obviously, everything looks so different from this height, and part of Clarke feels different too. There is just so much to see and it’s a shame that she’s not going to be able to take it in _fully._ But she takes what she can and she’s already feeling absolutely amazing.

Zoe then points down towards the ground, and Clarke follows to see Lexa and Ethan. They’re a little further down than she is, but it doesn’t stop her from feeling so happy that they’re doing this together.

It’s not long that Lexa’s parachute is pulled open and Clarke is flying past her as she goes back up. They share a short wave and then Zoe gives her the sign that their parachute is also about to go up. Clarke braces herself for the move, and then she soaring (physically but also mentally).

Coming down in the parachute gives her a chance to take in her surrounds a lot better than she was free falling. By some miracle, Lexa is also close by as well and Clarke can tell that she’s just as amazed with the experience.

Zoe taps Clarke on the shoulder and gives an “okay” gesture with her right hand. Clarke gets the message and nods, returning a thumbs-up as a reply. Zoe then grabs her camera and takes a few selfies, twisting their parachute so that Lexa is in the background somewhere.

As they near the drop zone, Clarke notices something a little out of the ordinary. Well, though she’s never been skydiving before she’s pretty sure that there isn’t meant to be a big love heart made of roses on the ground. There’s also a group of people waiting and waving up at her.

“Oh my god,” Clarke says to herself.

Landing is much smoother than she expected it to be. Once she’s got two feet on the ground and her harness is detached from Zoe, she walks towards her friends and family. They all stand in front of large banner that reads “HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARKE!”, cheering as she draws nearer.

Lexa is there too, and she meets her somewhere halfway. Clarke all but jumps into Lexa’s arms, giving her a quick kiss and a hug.

“How was it?” Lexa asks.

Clarke steps back from the hug, still reeling in from the jump. “Amazing,” is all that she manages to reply, but by the look on Lexa’s face she totally understands. She points towards the group of people, “And all of this?”

“Surprise,” Lexa smiles.

Clarke leans in and kisses Lexa again, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The two of them join the group and Clarke is pulled into numerous hugs and photos almost instantly. There is a good amount of people here, everyone from her kids to Lexa’s parents.

They’ve set up an open tent with a couple of tables underneath it. When Clarke sees the lunch spread she almost wanders if another hundred people are going to join them. There’s a long table with a wide range of food, set up buffet style.

But before they eat, Clarke gets everyone to take a seat so she can thank them all for being here. She keeps it short, simple and by the end of it everyone is cheering back at her. The cheers turn into them singing ‘ _Happy birthday’_ and that’s when she sees Lexa wheel a cake towards her. It’s a two tier, grey marble cake with a couple of daises along the side of it.

As the cart stops in front of her, it’s time for Clarke to blow out the candles. The group erupts in another round of applause and cheers and Clarke is sure she’s blushing at the amount of love she feels in this moment.

Lexa leans over and kisses her cheek, “Happy birthday.”

 

* * *

 

**November 2017**

Lexa finds her backyard to be the centre of another one of Raven’s backyard experiment days. It’s not that she minds, because it always a fun afternoon for the kids. But sometimes Raven can be very… passionate about her science and her experiments are something very extravagant.

But after hearing what she has planned for the day, Lexa herself is pretty excited as well. Everyone comes by mid-afternoon, ready for what Raven has in store for them.

“Giant bubbles?!” Aden screams.

Raven nods, “That’s right! We’re going to make a super-secret mixture and I’ve got some extra special wands we can use.”

Ava almost squeals, “YAY!”

Before Lexa knows it, Raven is urging the kids back inside the house. But when Bellamy tries to follow, Raven stops him abruptly and tells him that the super-secret mixture is only for the kids to know about. And Bellamy knows better than to try and fight Raven, so he takes a seat back down at the table.

With Clarke sitting sideways on her lap, Lexa pulls her in a little closer and they fall into their own little conversation. “Do you think Raven will kick me out of my house if I try to go inside?” she asks.

Clarke laughs, but nods. “I think you’ve known her long enough to know the answer to that.”

Lexa nuzzles herself into Clarke’s shoulder.

“Can you believe that the year is almost coming to an end?”

“Don’t remind me,” Lexa replies, “As cliché as this sounds, it really did go by so fast.”

“It did.”

Lexa smiles, “But I have to tell you that having you and Ava by my side has been absolutely amazing. I love you both, so much.”

“We love you too,” Clarke replies. She leans in and kisses Lexa, seemingly ignoring everyone around them.

“Take it to the bedroom,” Anya says quite loudly.

Lexa laughs as she breaks away from the kiss. The two of them join in the group’s conversation about what they’re going to have for dinner.

It’s about ten minutes later that the kids are coming out of the house. Raven follows closely behind holding a rather large container of the “super-secret mixture.” There’s a smaller table they set up in the middle of the lawn, and it’s not that Raven brings out the three bubbles wands she’s made earlier in the week.

The first few attempts are a bust, but eventually Mia is the first one to be able to make a complete bubble. And it’s a big bubble, at least half the size of Raven. The kids are in awe as they watch it float in the middle of the backyard, and frankly Lexa is too.

After a while of extreme bubble making, Raven walks over to the table with her hands clasped together. “And for my next trick I’m going to need a volunteer,” she says.

Everyone around the table immediately puts a hand on their head. Whenever Raven needs a volunteer, everyone has to put their hand on their head and the last person to do it has to be that volunteer.

Lexa laughs when she sees that Clarke is the last person to do it. “You’re up,” she teases.

“Oh for fuck sakes,” Clarke mumbles under her breath, “I’m always the volunteer.”

“You’re always the last one to put their hand on their head,” Octavia counters.

Raven pulls Clarke off Lexa’s lap excitedly.

“What am I volunteering for now?” Clarke asks.

Raven grins, “I’m going to try and put you in a bubble!”

 

* * *

 

**December 2017**

With just a couple of minutes till the new year, Clarke pulls Lexa out of the house to catch the fireworks. They’ve actually booked the same place as they did last year for a couple of days to ring in the new year. Everyone else soon joins them outside. And this year the kids have managed to stay up to midnight to catch the fireworks as well.

When she thinks about it, Clarke can’t believe it’s been a year. It’s been one of the best years of her life and she knows that it can only get better from here on out.

They find a spot on the grass, sitting by side by side as their kids sit in front of them. But before they can get comfortable, Clarke pulls Ava, Mia and Aden in for a big hug. Lexa joins in as well and they fall into a fit of laughter as they end up sprawled across the grass.

Lincoln gives them a shout that there’s a minute to go and that’s when they settle back down. Clarke throws her arm around Lexa’s shoulder and just remains close. They don’t say anything during this moment, but enjoy the peace and quiet that follows. It’s a short minute and before they know they’re counting down to the new year.

_“10!”_

_“9!”_

_“8!”_

_“7!”_

_“6!”_

_“5!”_

_“4!”_

_“3!”_

_“2!”_

_“1!”_

Clarke pulls Lexa in for a loving kiss.

_“HAPPY NEW YEAR!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more to go!! 
> 
> thank you to my awesome beta [thehaughtcommander](http://thehaughtcommander.tumblr.com/) ([aos_skimmons on ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aos_skimmons/))


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the epilogue!!

** TWO YEARS LATER **

  
“Girls!” Clarke calls out, “Are you ready? Your Aunt Anya is waiting for you.”

“ _One minute!”_ Ava replies.

Clarke turns back to Anya, who stands with her in the kitchen. “Thanks again for doing this,” she whispers.

“It’s not a problem. Just don’t stuff it up.”

Clarke knows Anya means well, but it doesn’t stop her from letting out a nervous laugh.

“So are you going to tell me why you’re here?” Lexa asks her sister as she steps into the room.

“I told you, I’m taking the kids up to the farm,” Anya replies. “They don’t like your driving.”

Lexa laughs sarcastically in response.

“I’m taking you on a date,” Clarke reveals.

Lexa turns to Clarke, “You are?”

“I am,” Clarke smiles. “Don’t ask me where we’re going because I’m not going to tell you. But I’m taking you out and we’ll head to the farm afterwards.”

“Oh.”

“And the kids don’t like your driving,” Anya says again. “They really don’t.”

“You know what Anya, fu–” Lexa is cut off as the kids come running into the kitchen. Immediately, they all surround Lexa, giving their mama the biggest hug. It’s a welcome surprise for Lexa and she accepts it whole heartedly.

“Okay!” Aden announces, “It’s time to go.”

“What’s the rush?” Lexa asks curiously.

Aden is caught off guard, so Clarke swoops in and answers for him, “There’s a festival just down the road from the farm and they’re excited to go.”

Lexa gives her a curious look before accepting the response and giving the kids one last hug. After Clarke hugs the kids, they are off with their Aunt Anya and leaving the house.

“So am I dressed okay for wherever we’re going?” Lexa asks, showing her outfit off.

Clarke nods without really look, she knows Lexa looks good. Lexa looks good all the time. “We should get going.”

“Okay,” Lexa nods. “I just need to grab my bag; do you need anything from the room?”

Clarke thinks about it for a moment before shaking her head. “I’ll double check that we have everything and wait for you in the car?”

“Alright.”

Clarke watches Lexa walk off and lets out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. While it might be another weekend away at the farm, this weekend is going to be a little more special. The past three years with Lexa and kids have been nothing short of amazing. And if there’s one thing she’s been certain of for a long time, is that she wants to spend the rest of her life with Lexa, Mia, Aden and Ava as one family.

So today is the day she’s going to be proposing to Lexa Woods.

It’s taken a lot of careful planning, but she finally has got the plan down to a tee and she isn’t nervous at all. Getting married won’t change much, but Clarke wants the world to know that she loves Lexa with every fibre of her being.

The past few years have been some of the best. She and Ava moved in with Lexa and twins just over a year ago, after basically living there already. Ava now calls Lexa “mama”, whereas Clarke has become “ma” to the kids. It took a little while to get used to, but overtime it just felt so right.

Clarke is taking Lexa on a simple lunch date out in the country side. There’s a small, usually deserted park on the way to the farm that is the best location for her proposal. She’s been there with Lexa and the kids a couple of times in the past so it’s familiar, it’s comfortable, and it holds dear memories for them both.

The drive to the park is nice, filled with chatter about what they plan to do this weekend. Clarke’s just finished teaching Term 2 and has been looking forward to the holidays for a long time. As for Lexa, the florist is still going well, with her team of employees more than capable to handling things while she’s gone.

It probably doesn’t take long for Lexa to realise where they’re going. But thankfully, she doesn’t say anything, seemingly enjoying the beginning of this date of theirs. By the time they reach the park it’s just before 11:30am and it doesn’t seem like anyone is around.

As they step out of the car, Clarke walks over to Lexa’s side and holds up a blindfold.

“I need to you to put this on,” she requests.

“A blindfold? Why?

“Humour me.”

Lexa then turns around and lets Clarke tie the blindfold around her eyes. Clarke spins Lexa around and can’t help but smile.

She is so in love.

“Are you just staring at me?” Lexa asks.

Clarke chuckles softly before leaning in slowly to give Lexa a long and passionate kiss. It definitely surprises Lexa, but they fall right into each other’s arms.

“I love you Lexa Woods,” Clarke whispers.

Lexa smiles, “I wish I could see you right now.”

Clarke lifts the blindfold up and smiles.

“I love you too, Clarke Griffin,” Lexa whispers.

They share another kiss before Clarke pulls down the blindfold and takes Lexa’s hand. It’s a short walk to the spot she wants to have the picnic. Carefully, Clarke makes sure Lexa doesn’t miss a step or trip over anything.

When they get to the clearing Clarke is relieved to see that everything is set up for her. She had Raven come up just before her to set everything up so that Lexa wouldn’t have any idea what was going on.

“Just a couple more steps,” Clarke says. She takes Lexa to the edge of the blanket, encourages her to take off her shoes and then guides her to sit down on one of the pillows.

Lexa pretends to look around, “Can I take off my blindfold yet?”

Clarke shakes her head as she looks around the picnic spread. She quickly remembers that Lexa can’t see her and she replies, “Not yet… one minute.” She wants to make sure everything is out and in the right place. There’s three platters of food, consisting of cheeses, crackers, fruits, dips, sandwiches and various pastries.

As Clarke takes a seat next to Lexa, she grabs her phone and sends a quick message to Raven – saying that she’s arrived and everything looks perfect. Once she places her phone to the side, she turns her attention back to Lexa.

“Okay,” she breathes, “You can take it off now.”

Lexa carefully unties the blindfold and her eyes go wide at what surrounds her. “Oh Clarke…” she whispers. She leans over for a quick kiss. “This is beautiful.”

“Bon appetite.”

Of course they pick and point at the food, making sure they give everything ago. And with Clarke being Clarke, she’s packed more than enough food for the two of them. 

Clarke is pretty sure that Lexa doesn’t expect anything. They’ve talked about marriage before and where they want their lives to go, and thankfully they have a very similar picture for their future together. For now Lexa probably just sees this lunch as another date and Clarke just wants to make sure that the proposal remains a surprise.

“Everything okay?” Lexa asks. “It looks like your own little world.”

Clarke nods and finishes chewing. “How’s the food?”

“Exceptional, as always.”

“That’s good.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lexa asks again. “You seem a little… different today.” There’s a dramatic pause. “Are you breaking up with me?” she teases.

Clarke chuckles, “No, no… no.” She takes a deep breath and turns towards her bag, pulling out the small black velvet box before turning back to Lexa. “Quite the opposite actually…” she whispers. Clarke flips open the box to reveal the diamond ring.

“Clarke…” Lexa breathes.

Clarke licks her lips. “I love you, Lexa Woods. I love you, the kids, the life we have built together. I don’t want anything in our lives to change other than the title of our names. I want to be _Mrs Clarke Griffin-Woods_ and I want you to be _Mrs Lexa Griffin-Woods,_ or _Woods-Griffin_ , it doesn’t matter to me. I just want you in my life forever.”

Lexa places her hand on her chest and lets out a small, happy sigh.

At this point Clarke’s hand is trembling, but Lexa comes to hold it, to offer reassurance and support. “Don’t tell Raven or Octavia this, but you’re my best friend,” Clarke laughs, “And I am so sure that I want to go through the rest of my life with you by my side.”

“Clarke… yes,” Lexa says.

“I haven’t asked the question yet,” Clarke teases. But she doesn’t get another word in before Lexa is leaning over and kissing her.

When the kissing stops, Lexa whispers, “Ask me.”

Clarke smiles again and brings the box back between them, “Lexa Woods, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Lexa replies simple, “Yes, I will marry you.”

As Lexa holds out her left hand, Clarke takes out the ring and slides it onto her finger. They share another long, passionate kiss before Clarke pulls back. “Do you trust me?” Clarke asks.

Lexa raises an eyebrow but nods. “Of course.”

“Then we have to go.” Clarke pauses. “Right now.”

“Right now?”

Clarke nods and begins to pack the food. It takes a couple of moments for Lexa to catch on before she’s helping. But even as they’re clearing up their picnic, Clarke can tell that she is still confused. This is a good thing though because it means Lexa still has no idea what’s happening.

The proposal is only part one of Clarke’s plan.

 

* * *

 

As they’re walking back to the car, Lexa is feeling two very different emotions. On the one hand, she’s on cloud nine and engaged to the woman she loves, but on the other hand she’s absolutely confused about what’s currently happening.

When they get back to the car, Clarke puts everything into the boot before going to stand in front of Lexa. She pulls out the blindfold from earlier and doesn’t have to say anything for Lexa to get the message.

“Again?” Lexa asks, “Do I really need to be blindfolded?”

Clarke nods. “It’s crucial.”

“The things I do for the woman I love,” she teases back.

Lexa decides not to fight it because Clarke looks so excited with whatever is happening. She can entertain this for as long as she needs to. Once the blindfold is on, Clarke guides her into the passenger seat and helps with the seatbelt.

It’s just a minute later that the car starts and they’re driving off. Though she can’t see anything, Lexa still has her perspective on where they’re going. Having come to this area more times than she can remember, she’s pretty sure that they’re heading towards her parents’ farm. This is when she assumes that there’s got to be an engagement party of some sorts happening.

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Lexa asks.

“Don’t play the fool Lex,” Clarke laughs, “I know you know where we are going. Even I can admit that you have a crazy good sense of direction.”

“Didn’t stop you from arguing with me last year when we took that road trip,” Lexa counters.

“I thought we decided that we were never going to talk about that again.”

“You decided,” Lexa replies, “I can forgive, but I’ll never forget.”

Clarke laughs again, “Will you forget if I tell you what we’re doing today?”

“Yes.”

“Ha!” Clarke exclaims, “In your dreams, Woods.”

“Don’t you mean Griffin-Woods?” Lexa grins.

“If I could kiss you right now, I would.”

Lexa chuckles slightly and a comfortable silence fills the space. While she is still confused about what’s going on, she knows it can only be good things from here on out.

They reach their destination about twenty minutes later and Lexa is pretty sure they are at the farm. But with the blindfold around her eyes, she can’t be completely sure yet.

“Wait one second,” Clarke says.

Before Lexa can respond, she hears Clarke leave the car and close the door. She tries to focus her listening on her surroundings, but it’s almost dead quiet. It’s a couple of minutes later that Lexa’s door opens and she feels herself being guided out of the car.

“Can I take off my blindfold yet?” Lexa asks.

“NO!” Clarke almost screams, “Sorry, no, not yet.”

“Why?”

“Just remember that you trust me.”

Lexa smiles, “Okay.”

“I’m going to kiss you know…” Clarke trails off.

Lexa nods in response and she feels Clarke come closer to connect their lips. It’s a soft, delicate kiss. Clarke’s fingers trail the side of Lexa’s face as their mouths move in sync.

The kiss ends and Clarke kisses the top of Lexa’s forehead, “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Lexa’s almost about to ask where’s she going, but she stops herself from doing so. Whatever Clarke is up to is obviously very important and Lexa will trust her whole heartedly.

“Promise?” Lexa whispers.

“I promise.” There’s a small pause. “Anya’s going to come take you to where you need to go.”

Just moments later Clarke’s presence is gone and Lexa feels Anya come stand behind her.

“Clarke’s paid me big bucks, so don’t even try to ask what’s going on,” Anya teases.

Lexa lets out a happy sigh, “Clarke proposed to me.”

“I know.”

Anya takes Lexa’s hand and begins to guide them away from the car. While she still can’t see, Lexa can confirm that they are on the farm and currently walking into the house. Her childhood home has got this atmosphere that completely immerses Lexa whenever she’s here.

They walk up the stairs and take a left, eventually walking into Lexa’s old room. There’s other people in there too, but they don’t say anything so Lexa can’t tell who they are. Anya continues to guide her until she’s sitting on a chair.

“Okay, what is going on?” Lexa asks.

The door closes and someone unties the blindfold around her eyes. It takes her a couple of seconds to adjust to the light, but what she sees in her room surprises her. In front of her is a big mirror and surrounding it is more makeup than she’s ever seen. The makeup is neatly organised along the tables and at the end of one of them is an array of hairstyling equipment.

Lexa turns around to see who else is in the room, “What’s all this–” She stops what she’s saying as she sees what’s hanging from the wardrobe door. “Is this…” Lexa stops and swallows the lump in her throat.

“It is,” Anya answers. “It’s the dress.”

Lexa stands up from her chair and walks closer towards the dress. Over the past couple of months she’s been helping her sister design a wedding dress for what Anya described as a “very picky client.” Using the excuse that she’s stuck in a design rut, Lexa’s has been giving her sister various opinions on what the dress should look like. Little did she know that she was designing her own dress.

As she steps closer, she can feel the tears starting to form. Of course as she was helping Anya, she was giving opinions based on what she would like. So it’s a simple, elegant strapless dress. The upper part of it has got lace patterns, while the bottom of the dress poofs out just slightly.

Lexa walks over to Anya and hugs her without saying anything. Her sister responds straight away and hugs her back. The two of them stand like this for a long time. It’s during this time that Lexa also notices that someone is recording the moment. She pulls back from the hug and looks around the room. That’s when it hits her.

This isn’t an engagement party.

“I’m getting married today, aren’t I?” Lexa says.

Anya nods with a soft smile on her lips, “You are.”

This is when Lexa realises that she only knows one of the four other people in the room. Lincoln comes by with open arms, congratulating her on the engagement and wedding. Then Anya introduces Lexa to the strangers in the room. There is Brenda and Felix who will be doing her hair and make-up and Danton who is part of the wedding video crew.

While still in disbelief, Lexa is guided back to the chair and told that all she needs to do is sit still.

“This is your day,” Anya smiles, “And what a day it’s going to be.”

Brenda and Felix begin to talk to Lexa about what she wants to do hair and make-up wise. It catches Lexa off guard because she’s never really thought about it before but the two are more than supportive throughout the whole process. They offer their own suggestions and show pictures, and eventually the three of them easily come up with a look for the bride to be.

As Brenda and Felix begin to work, there’s a couple of knocks at the door. Lincoln answers and two more people walk in, rolling in a number of suitcases. It’s now that Lexa learns that Anya is going to be her maid of honour, while Lincoln is her groomsman. She honestly couldn’t be happier about this.

Together the three of them begin getting ready for the wedding. And at first it’s a lot for Lexa to take in, but she’s also so ready for this. She has been for a while. And if she’s being honest, she’s been thinking about marrying Clarke for a long time.

“So where are my kids?” Lexa asks.

“They’re around.”

“Is that all I’m getting?”

Anya hums in response. “Clarke’s worked very hard and for very long to put this day together. I’m not going to be the one to ruin it for her, or for you.”

Lexa turns slightly to her sister and asks, “How long has she been planning this?”

“Almost a year,” Anya reveals.

“A YEAR?!” Lexa asks turning her attention to Anya. She apologises to Brenda for moving and returns back to facing the mirror. “She’s been planning this for a year?”

“It’s been a crazy year trying to hide it from you,” Lincoln says.

Lexa’s heart begins to flutter. She can’t believe that this day has been a year in the works. She can’t even begin to imagine what Clarke’s been doing all this time, all the while successfully keeping her in the dark.

“So have the kids known about this?” Lexa asks.

Anya hums again. “For a couple of months now. They can keep a secret, you should know.”

Lexa laughs. “Clarke told you about the secret?”

“Yeah,” Anya replies, “And it’s annoying as hell because I’m about 100% I know what the secret is. It’s the one grandpa told us when we were younger, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“I can’t believe that you’ve been keeping that from her all this time. It’s so lame.”

Lexa nods. “It is,” she replies. “But it was funny to the kids at the time and now it’s just funny because Clarke always gets so worked up about it.”

“Oh is this the one where you tell the kids you have–” Lincoln is cut off as there’s knocking at the door.

“Who is it!?” Anya yells.

The person at the other side of the door starts to make some random bird sounds.

“Raven!” Anya sighs.

“ _Sorry!”_ Raven yells. “ _Operation Bunny is a go!”_

Anya doesn’t respond as Raven’s footsteps can be heard walking away from the door. Lexa knows that her sister won’t tell her anything about ‘Operation Bunny’ so she doesn’t even ask about it. Instead Anya and Lincoln asks Lexa about Clarke’s proposal.

 

Hair and make-up takes about two hours and Lexa finds herself missing Clarke immensely. She can only assume that she’s getting ready herself and that they’ll see each other soon enough, but honestly Lexa would give so much just to hear her voice right now.

Lexa thanks hair and make-up as they leave and gives Lincoln another hug as he goes to put on his suit. She lets Danton, the cameraman stay for the time being, she wants to remember this moment forever. He keeps his distance and reassures Lexa that if she needs a moment to herself, he’ll be more than happy to step outside.

“Ready to put on your dress?” Anya asks.

Lexa nods. “It’s a beautiful dress, Anya.”

“I know.” Anya places her hands on Lexa’s shoulders and smiles, “Let’s get you to your wedding.”

“Thank you, for everything.”

The two sisters share another hug before asking Danton to step outside while Lexa puts on her dress. If it’s possible, the dress is as perfect on her as it was hanging on the door. Lexa knows her sister is good at what she does, but this is something out a dream. It fits perfectly and matched with her hair and make-up, Lexa feels like the second most beautiful bride (Clarke being the first of course).

“You look amazing,” Anya whispers.

Lexa carefully wipes away a small tear. “I can’t believe I’ve been designing my own wedding dress all this time.”

“You’re easy to fool.” There’s a pause as Lexa just stares at herself in the mirror. “Danton wants a couple of shots of me zipping up your dress. Is that cool with you?”

Lexa nods, “Send him in.”

For the next fifteen minutes Lexa and Anya do various actions for the wedding video. They could have done it in five, but the sisters couldn’t keep much of a straight face. But from the shots Danton got, Lexa knows that the video will be amazing when it’s done.

“So where to know?”

Anya smirks but doesn’t answer her right away. Instead she moves about the room as if she’s looking for something. Not even a minute later she returns to Lexa holding up the blindfold from before.

“Really?” Lexa sighs.

“Really. But first, mum and dad want to see you.”

Lexa’s eyes completely widen at the news, “Yes, yes, where are they?”

Anya doesn’t say any more and goes to open the door. At the other side, her parents are standing there waiting patiently. Her mum walks in first, dressed in a dark navy dress.

“Oh Lexa, look at you,” Indra smiles as she steps towards her daughter.

Gustus walks in immediately after and closes the door. “Look at my beautiful daughter!”

Lexa finds herself in a careful hug between her parents. They compliment her to no end and she takes it all in. This is her day, her day with Clarke and she’s going to make it so.

 

A little while later Lexa finds herself being guided out of the house. Once again, she’s got the blindfold around her eyes and her perception of where she’s going is lost as Anya spins her around a couple of times. Anya tells her that they’re going to take some wedding photos out in the fields, and she is beyond excited about this. She knows her blindfold won’t be taken off but she’ll get a chance to talk to Clarke.

Anya eventually comes to a stop and gives Lexa’s hand to someone else. Instantly, Lexa knows that it’s Clarke and she tries everything to not cry. They hold each other’s hands for the time being as Danton and the other cameramen let them know that they’re going to take a few photos while they talk.

“Hi,” Lexa chuckles.

“Hi.”

The sound of Clarke’s voice makes Lexa’s heart positively ache. “Kiss me,” Lexa breathes. The two of them slowly find their way towards each other. Their lips touch just barely for a second before Lexa surges forward and kisses her wife to be properly.

Clarke smiles into the kiss, “Surprise.”

“We’re getting married.”

“We are.”

Lexa hears the pitter patter of kids running up towards them. Her motherly instincts tell her that is Mia, Aden and Ava. And again, It’s taking everything in her to not rip off the blindfold and see her kids.

The kids hug their ma and mama carefully, saying that they love them over and over again. Lexa honestly finds herself getting happier by the second.

The photoshoot starts and it’s a little hard when Lexa can’t see. But they somehow make it work. She learns quickly that all she’s got to do is stand still and smile. The rest is up to the people helping them.

There are photos with her hugging Clarke, a few with their friends, family and the bridal party, and photos with their kids. Towards the end of the shot they’re told that they’ll do some more photos after the ceremony (without the blindfolds).

Lexa gets another quiet moment with Clarke before they have to go their separate ways again.

“I’ve got a question,” Clarke whispers.

“What is it?”

“Do you want to walk down the aisle first, or would you like me to do it?” The question slightly takes Lexa off guard and her silence prompts Clarke to continue. “I basically planned our wedding without asking for your input and I’m pretty sure you’re going to like everything… But I want to give you this.”

Lexa’s heart swells with more love than she has ever known. “I’m sure I’m going to love everything,” she replies, “And I would really like it if I could walk first. I’ve wanted to see you walking down the aisle for so long now.”

 

Lexa’s blindfold is taken off not too long after the photoshoot. When it is off she sees that she’s now standing in front of the barn and the entire area has been decorated so beautifully. There are bouquets of flowers everywhere, lanterns, streamers and even though the farm is her childhood home, there is an elegance to the place that she’s never seen or felt before.

It’s now that she also sees the number of cars neatly parked on the property. While it’s not a _big_ wedding, there is still a good amount of them here and Lexa is beyond to see who’s made it out today.

“ _Mama_!”

Lexa instantly turns around at the sound of her kids’ voices. Mia, Aden and Ava all run up to her and she can’t help the grin that appears on her face. Mia and Ava wear matching white dresses with flower crowns as Aden is in a dark grey suit.

“Look at you guys!” Lexa gleams. She kneels down to their level and pulls them in for a hug. “You are all so beautiful.”

“You look beautiful too, mama,” Aden replies, “So beautiful.”

Lexa carefully stops a few tears from falling.

Ava then places a soft kiss on her forehead and holds up a spare flower crown, “Can I put this on you?” she asks.

“Of course.” She bends her head slightly forward so it’s a little easier and gives Ava another kiss as the crown is on.

“Ma looks beautiful too,” Mia adds.

Lexa tucks a few loose hairs behind Mia’s ear, “I’m sure she does.”

Anya then steps towards them, “Ready Lex?”

“Ready,” Lexa nods. She stands up and watches as the bridal party lines up in front of the barn doors. The nerves slowly creep up on her, but she isn’t worried. It’s more or less just the butterflies. She’s marrying the woman she loves today.

The kids stand at the front; with Aden leading Mia and Ava, followed by Lincoln and Anya, and Lexa stands at the end with her dad. The share a knowing look, a silent “I love you” being sent to each other.

They link arms and Lexa takes a couple of deep breaths as the barn door opens. From where she is, she can see that’s it’s been redecorated to accommodate a wedding ceremony. Everyone in the barn stands up and looks towards her and it hits Lexa again that this is really happening. While Lexa can’t see the band yet, she can hear a string of violins, a piano and guitar. It’s a melody she hasn’t heard before, but the first few seconds are already beautiful.

Aden gets the cue to begin walking and eventually Lexa is taking her steps into the barn. The white aisle is covered with flower petals and it smells amazing. The sun shines naturally through the open roof and the space seems a lot bigger with the way it’s been decorated.

Seeing her closest friends and family has her on a new level of happiness. They cheer and smile, flashes going off left, right and centre and Lexa doesn’t want this feeling to end. At the end of the aisle she kisses her dad on the cheek and stands at the position Anya points her to.

Now is the time she’s been waiting for. The melody softens slightly, but Lexa knows it’s about to pick up again as Clarke walks into the barn. Lexa can’t stop her heart from beating out of her chest and the feeling of butterflies just continue increase.

The shift in the melody occurs and Lexa’s breath hitches.

“You should turn around Lex,” Anya whispers, “You don’t want to miss this.”

Without another second Lexa turns around and her eyes immediately fall on Clarke. There is no way to describe the beauty she sees. The light hits Clarke’s face in a way that highlights every single detail about the woman walking towards her. Clarke too has a flower crown and carries a beautiful bouquet. It really is taking everything in Lexa to not cry right now.

When Clarke reaches the end of the aisle, she kisses her dad on the cheek and comes to stand next to Lexa. They turn to face each other and Lexa, for lack of a better word, is gobsmacked. This is another moment in their lives that Lexa thinks Clarke is more beautiful than ever before.

 

* * *

 

Lexa takes Clarke’s hands and takes a deep breath. She’s taken the opportunity to say her vows first. And while she hasn’t prepared anything in particular, she knows that she’ll be able to speak from the heart without any problems.

“When I lost Costia I promised her that I would be open to love again. Sometime after we lost her, I was content with it just being me and twins. But then you happened,” Lexa smiles. “As the lyrics go, _I found love where it wasn’t meant to be._ The twins and I had just moved to Arkadia and the only thing I was focused on was making sure we found a home again.” She pauses to take a deep breath. “Little did I know that I was going to find a home in the most unexpected place. You offered your friendship and support in a time that I definitely needed it. You helped us fall in love with Arkadia and our new home, and in the process, fall in love with you and Ava as well. There is nothing I would change about the course of our relationship. I found myself trusting you very quickly and you made sure to give me the time I needed to process it all. You and Ava have given us an endless amount of love over the years and I hope you know that we love you both just as much. You have given me something that I thought I had lost forever. You are a constant reminder that better days ahead. You are the light of our family. You are so caring, so loving and just so, so beautiful. As well as opening your heart to me, you’ve opened your heart to Mia and Aden and I can’t thank you enough for that. You love them in more ways than I could have ever asked you to. Thank you for everything, Clarke Griffin. I love you more than words can explain and I can’t wait to start the next chapter of our lives together.”

Lexa lets out a deep breath as she finishes what she wants to say. And the look on Clarke’s face is everything she hoped it would be. It feels like it’s just the two of them in the room, expressing their love in the sincerest way.

Clarke gets the cue that it’s her turn to say her vows and Lexa readies herself for the wave of emotions that is bound to come.

“Even though I’ve been preparing for this day for a long time, I haven’t actually written my vows,” Clarke reveals. “But I know I don’t need to, because I know exactly how I feel about you and what I want to say. The simplest fact is that I love you. I love you, so much. I’ve told you this before, but you, Mia and Aden have filled a space in my life that I didn’t know needed to be filled. Looking back now, I don’t think we were ever just going to be friends. When I first met you, I felt this undeniable connection to you. And seeing you with Ava that first day had me realising that we were going to be very important in each other’s lives. We became friends and slowly, I found myself falling in love with you and your family. But we knew that our relationship would not be just between us.”

Clarke takes a pause and Lexa gives her hands a reassuring squeeze. She is crying at this point, but she doesn’t care.

Clarke then turns towards the audience, where their children are sitting. “Mia, Aden, Ava, come up here,” she says rather quietly.

As the kids make their way up, the all immediately join hands.

“Lexa,” Clarke continues with a wide smile, “Just then you said that I had opened my heart to Mia and Aden in more ways than you could have ever asked for. I hope you know that you’ve done the same for Ava as well. Seeing you love Ava the way you love the twins makes me the happiest woman in the world.”

Clarke then nudges her head towards the kids and Lexa is pretty sure she knows what she wants to do. Without letting go of the kids’ hands, then both kneel down and bring them all in for a big hug.

Lexa is the first one to speak, “Ava, I know I wasn’t there for the first few years. I wasn’t there for your first words, first steps, or even your first day of school. But I promise to be there for whatever _firsts_ comes next; your first date, your first day at your first job, your first day of college. You are my daughter and I love you beyond anything in this world.”

Ava jumps forward and engulfs Lexa in a big hug. She holds on tight, mumbling quiet ‘I love you’s in Lexa’s ear. Instead of her heart beating uncontrollably fast anymore, Lexa’s heart settles. It settles in way that tells her that she’s home. She is home with the people that surround her.

Ava steps back from the hug and they hold hands again. It’s Clarke’s turn.

Clarke looks between Mia and Aden and smiles. “You two are two of the bravest kids I know. You’ve both been through something no kid should ever have to go through. So I promise that I’ll never let you forget where you came from. I promise to do my best to make sure that only better days are ahead. I love you both so much. You two have changed my life forever. You’ve changed it in the best way possible. Not only do I have another beautiful daughter and son, Ava has a brother and a sister that she can count on. We’ll been for a family for a long time now, but today marks a new chapter in our lives and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.”

Once Clarke finishes what she’s saying, it’s time for the twins to jump forward and hug her. The entire crowd cheers and Lexa and Ava join in on the hug as well. 

 

* * *

 

The reception is held behind the barn, just as the sun is setting. Lexa would describe it as something out of a fairy tale. There’s a makeshift stage where the band plays, a dance floor has been set up, circular tables are decorated with flowers and candles, and the entire place it lit up by lanterns and fairy lights.

The wedding party’s table is the most extravagant one. It’s one long wooden table that overlooks the dance floor. Clarke and Lexa’s chair are almost throne-like, which definitely excites Lexa more than it should.

The beginning of the reception is for greeting the guests, photos and getting everyone in their seats. It’s probably the part of the day that’s most chaotic, with Lexa forgetting how many hugs she shares and how many time the camera flash hurts her eyes.

Once everyone is settled, the wedding reception officially starts. Anya and Raven take the stage and give a very entertaining (and embarrassing) introductory speech. But it keeps Lexa smiling and feeling like she’s on cloud nine, so there is no harm in the slight embarrassment she goes through.

Her parents, along with Jake and Abby also take the stage for a very touching speech. They talk about watching both their kids and grandkids fall in love with each other in such a way that make Lexa almost blush.

After her parents’ speech, Mia, Aden and Ava immediately jump out of their chairs and run up towards the stage. While this whole thing is a surprise to Lexa, the look on Clarke’s face tells her that this part is a surprise too. They reach for each other’s hands and watch as the kids take the stage.

“We want to thank everyone for coming here today,” Aden says into the microphone, “Today is a very special day for me, my sisters and my mums.”

“We just want to tell everyone that we love our mama and ma very much,” Ava smiles.

Mia then takes the microphone, “And we have a very special surprise for them. Ma and mama, will you please come up to the stage to take your first dance as wife and wife?”

Lexa pulls Clarke out of the chair and towards the stage in no time at all. As they do this, the band steps up on stage and the kids are seemingly taking their respective spots in the group. Mia sits with the pianist while Aden and Ava have an acoustic guitar each.

“What’s going on?” Lexa asks as they reach the middle of the stage.

But before Clarke can respond, the band (and the kids) start to play a familiar tune. Lexa finds herself being pulled closer to Clarke, and the two of them begin to slowly dance around the floor.

Lexa can’t take her eyes off the kids though. They all definitely have had practice but she can’t figure when they had the time to learn. She pushes the thought aside for the time being as the singer begins to sing.

“ _This is my love song to you, let every woman know I’m yours…”_

“I didn’t know about this,” Clarke whispers.

“Really?”

Clarke nods and spins Lexa around, “I have a feeling that Anya and Raven might have had to do something about it though.”

They both spot Anya and Raven at the table, hi-fiving each other.

Lexa turns back to Clarke, “This has been the most perfect day.”

“Yeah?”

Lexa nods and kisses Clarke softly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

 

Once their first dance finishes, the kids jump off the stage and into their parents’ arms. It’s a long hug, one that gets everyone cheering for the happy family. As they make their way back towards their table, Ava tugs at Lexa’s arm, urging her to come down to her level.

“Hey,” Lexa whispers, “Everything okay?”

Ava steps close enough to whisper into Lexa’s ear. “I think we should tell ma our secret now.”

“Now?”

Ava nods.

“ _What are you two whispering about?”_

The both look up to see Clarke, Mia and Aden standing over them.

“We’re talking about the secret,” Ava says proudly.

“Oh not this again,” Clarke laughs.

Over the past few years it’s just been an on-going joke within the family. Clarke definitely wants to know the secret, but she entertains it because it always sends the kids into a fit of giggles.

“We want to finally tell you the secret!” Ava gleams, “And I’m not lying _this_ time.”

Clarke curiously looks at her daughter. “You really want to tell me the secret?”

Ava nods, with Mia and Aden doing the same.

When Clarke looks to Lexa, she laughs. “Hey, it’s not my call.”

“Tell me, tell me,” Clarke replies excitedly. “I’ve been waiting _years_ for this moment.”

“I’m telling you now, it’s a lame secret,” Lexa warns.

“It can’t be that lame if Ava kept it a secret since the first day we met.”

“It is.”

Clarke laughs. “I’ll be the judge of that.” She then turns to Ava, “So are you really going to tell me?”

Ava nods again and gestures for Clarke to come down to her level too. “The secret is… mama has a bellybutton.”

The look on Clarke’s face is priceless. Lexa can’t quite read it, but it’s mostly confusion.

 “Okay, ha-ha, are you going to tell me the real secret now?” Clarke asks.

“That is the real secret!” Aden laughs.

“ _That_ can’t be the secret.”

Mia nods. “It is.”

“So you’re telling me that all this time, the secret has been that mama has a bellybutton?” Clarke pauses. “We all have bellybuttons!”

Lexa bites her bottom lip as she tries to stifle her laughter. Clarke banters a bit longer with the kids, trying to see if it really is the secret. Even after Lexa assures her that it is, Clarke still has trouble believing it.

“I told you it was lame secret,” Lexa laughs.

Clarke playfully rolls her eyes, “That’s not a lame secret… it’s not even a secret.”

“It was funny when mama told me,” Ava argues. “And then it was only funny because everyone knew besides you.”

“I can’t believe my family has played me like this,” Clarke replies.

They all chuckle in response.

“We love you too, Clarke,” Lexa smiles.

 

 

The end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i want to say thank you to [thehaughtcommander](http://thehaughtcommander.tumblr.com/) ([aos_skimmons on ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aos_skimmons/)) for being my beta for the last couple of chapters. your help was much appreciated!! :')
> 
> and also the biggest thank you to everyone who has read this fic. i've had a great time telling this story and to see that you have enjoyed it as well makes it all worth it :) 
> 
> if you didn't already know i have a [ rogue assassins fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7502271/chapters/17053170) in progress. or you can keep a look out for a new fic ill be posting soon where clarke and lexa are ex-girlfriends who retake a round the world trip separately (one goes one way, and the other goes the other and they meet somewhere in the middle)
> 
> thanks again for sticking around and reading!
> 
> xx solina

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://monkeykira.tumblr.com) / [twitter](http://twitter.com/solinasolina)


End file.
